A Strawberry For Your Secret
by Jewfish
Summary: Kagome stands in between L and Kira. Only she know's their true identities. While fighting to find a way to save Light and protect L from a loose Beyond Birthday, she's confronted by demons she never thought she'd encounter in life, or within herself.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello all! This is going to be an L/Kagome pairing. I promise L will come soon! I have most of the plot already worked out. I started this because of a crazy dream I had about Beyond and L. It was horrifying! I hope you enjoy, and please leave comments. I would love to have a second opinion! This will probably be a long fan fiction, we will see: D Enjoy!  
_*Updated 2/13/11_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or Death Note.

**Summary**: Kagome stands in between L and Kira. Only she knows their true identities. While fighting to find a way to save Light and protect L from a loose Beyond Birthday, she's confronted by demons she never thought she'd encounter in life, or within herself.

_Thoughts are italicized._

**A Strawberry for Your Secret**

* * *

**Chapter One**

Kagome had slept through another class. She sighed as the bell rang and everyone filed out of the classroom. Her friends kept shooting her concerned looks as they left school grounds. Sure, they were already used to her being 'sick' all the time, but they still worried. They were losing their friend, and they could not seem to help her.

Kagome spaced out, ignoring the endless chatter from her friends. She walked in a haze now, never aware of what was going on around her. _I need a nice bath and a good night's rest, _she thought to herself. She heard her friends gasp, and murmur excitedly to themselves. Kagome laughed at their antics and turned to see who had sparked their attention. She should have known…

_Light. _

He was the heartthrob of the school, and Kagome was the only girl who didn't care. She had known Light since she was in grade school. Their mothers became fast friends and their fathers as well, until Kagome's passed. Light had always been around, he was like a brother to her. His sister, Sayu, was a bundle of joy, and Kagome couldn't ever keep up with her. _Isn't she 14 now?_ She couldn't believe how fast time was going by. _And I'm spending it all 500 years in the past, on a wild goose chase to save the world from a crazed half-demon. _She sighed inwardly as Light approached her small group.

She could see how everyone fell for him. He was tall, pale; his body was in good shape. Light had the highest scores in the school, along with the prettiest face. His shaggy, light brown hair constantly fell into his eyes. His hair masked the constant, far-off look in his brown eyes. She knew he was bored with life. She wished they could trade places for once. Kagome was exhausted.

She smiled at him, her smile not reaching her eyes, but she couldn't hide much from Light anyway. He nodded at the small group that had stopped as he approached. His eyes flicked to Kagome's, "Let me walk you home," he said softly. "Mom wanted me to give this recipe to your mom on the way home from school."

He waved the piece of paper in his hand in front of her. She smiled at him and turned to her friends, who quickly waved and skittered off, leaving giggles in their wake. It was late into fall, you could feel winter approaching on the wind. Kagome wrapped her arms around her as they made their way to the shrine.

The school semester would end soon, and so would Kagome's pathetic attempt to catch up with her studies. Inuyasha was longing to finish Naraku off, and she had to forget about her own era for a while to collect any remaining shards that they could find. Naraku had most of them, and he was going to be difficult to beat. Her mind wandered off into the past again, never remaining in the present long enough to enjoy being home.

Light watched Kagome's face as they walked. He saw her eyes glaze over, and a small frown form on her pretty face.

"You know," he started, his voice snapping Kagome out of her reverie, "frowning gives you wrinkles. Most girls hate the thought of looking old and pruned." His voice sounded bored, but the way he looked at Kagome with humor in his eyes, she knew he was trying to lighten the mood. He could tell a lot was on her mind. She had been missing a lot of school again. If he ever brought it up, she would just brush him off and change the subject. He knew she was hiding something, even her family covered for her. Light wanted to know her secret.

"So how long are you going to be around in school this time?" Kagome's face blanched at his question. She kept her gaze ahead as she thought of an answer.

She tossed him a glance and a playful thump on his arm, "Oh hush." Her voice was soft, "It all depends on how I feel, and you know that." Pictures of Kagome flashed through his mind as he remembered better times. Her face always wore a smile, big and bright, shining for the whole world. Even after her father had passed away, Kagome was quick to bounce back and be strong for her family. She was the most stubborn, hardheaded girl he had ever met, but that's what made her Kagome. _Something happened_, Light thought to himself. It was about 2 years ago when he noticed her flame dulling. She began to miss more and more school, and he missed the old Kagome.

She attempted a smile again, and tucked her anxieties away into the recesses of her mind to enjoy some time with Light. They reached her house, and Kagome's mom was thrilled to see Light. Souta scrambled to the door to see his idol. Besides Inuyasha, who became her brothers hero, Light was the only other person he admired. Her mother pulled Light into a familiar hug, which he returned with a smile, attempting to match her enthusiasm. He patted Souta on the shoulder as he was swarmed with questions from an eager brother. Kagome softly smiled as she watched them attack Light and dropped her over-used, yellow bag by the door, plopping into one of the kitchen chairs with a sigh.

"I'll throw on some tea!" Her mother happily shuffled around the kitchen, humming to herself. Light sat down gracefully, earning a playful scowl from Kagome, "Could you please stop being all 'mister-perfect', you're making me look bad." She stared at him, watching the little spark in his eyes as he glared her way, his eyebrows pinched. He huffed and prepared to make a nasty remark back. They bantered playfully, but Kagome's mom butted in, "Oh stop it you two!" Her mother put tea on the table. She looked at them fondly as they talked about school and graduation in the spring. _They grew up so fast,_ she sighed to herself.

Kagome went through another week in school. She was starting to get the feeling that Light was all too curious about her illnesses and chronic absences. He was over after school almost every day that week. While battling her math homework, with Light's help, after school one day, her mother insisted that she visit Light's family.

Light agreed with a grin; he knew his sister would be thrilled to have Kagome over. Sayu adored her. Well, she loved the _old_ Kagome. While she looked better and better each day he saw her, he knew she would disappear again soon. It had been so long since she was at school for 2 weeks straight. There was some life back in her russet brown eyes, and she was actually smiling again.

Kagome easily gave in to her mother's pleas for her to visit with a defeated sigh. She stared at the blur of numbers on the page and decided she needed a break from homework anyway. They left for Light's house soon after, stepping out into the cool, fall evening. Their steps echoed throughout the empty shrine, bouncing off the pale gray stone beneath them and the dark buildings around them. The tree stood proud by the shrine steps, still holding onto its leaves of gold and red. The sun dusted the top of the tree, making the leaves glow with the last rays of sunlight. As they reached the never-ending expanse of steps to exit the shrine, Kagome heard a voice that made her stop dead in her tracks.

_Inuyasha…_

She figured he would pop in eventually since she had left in a huff again after another spat. Inuyasha was extremely impatient, but ended up waiting 2 weeks before he swallowed his pride to retrieve his shard detector. She smiled inwardly knowing she won the little battle, although she could not remember what the fight was even over. Kagome needed this break from the past anyway. She slid her eyes shut, sighed, and turned around; she figured running away to Light's house would only piss him off more. He was so stupid and irrational when he was angry. She watched him dart out her window, his silver hair catching the light, red haori a blur as he bolted from her room.

"KAGOME!" he yelled, squinting his golden eyes as he scanned the shrine for her form.

He stopped on a couple gazing at him from the entrance of the shrine. He noticed Kagome immediately. Her black hair danced around her face with each cool breeze, shifting around her pale, slender frame. He blinked and shifted his gaze to the other figure. _Who is the other person, _he questioned to himself, _is that a guy?_ This just irked him more, his ear twitched in irritation as he watched her. She had been gone for so long. He was sick of waiting. His claws itched for Naraku's death, and Kagome needed to come back with him to finish the job. He saw her shift and say something to the person she was with and dart back towards the house. Her eyes held a fire in them as she glared his way, and walked into her home. Inuyasha remained perched on the roof, glaring like an idiot at the stranger who stood at the shrine steps.

Kagome grabbed the cloth on his back and yanked him inside her room. He yelped in surprise, his back hit the floor with a loud bang. She bustled around her room, throwing a hat on him and tossing some shoes onto his stomach. He hurled the hat back at her, hopping back onto his feet and into Kagome's face. His voice thundered around her, "Just what the hell do you think I'm doing, staying for supper? Staying for another week?" His murky, yellow eyes pierced hers.

She met his glare with equal force. "I have a life here too, Inuyasha!" she couldn't help but shriek back. "You can't just come back when it's convenient for you and suppose I'll disappear for another month!" Her eyes misted with unshed tears. She stepped back from him and clenched the hat in her hand tightly at her side. Inuyasha said nothing, only staring at the fragile girl in front of him. The silence made her shoulders sag in defeat, "Just put the hat on at least, we have company, he's a family friend." She held the hat towards him in one of her small hands, her eyes remaining at her feet. "I'll come back tonight after supper if you just behave for a while." Her voice was controlled and stiff. She was still angry, but sick of fighting with her half-demon friend. She felt like her bargain was fair.

Inuyasha bit his tongue, fearing Kagome would burst into unwanted tears. Their anger died as quickly as it began. He slipped the hat on, flattening his ears to his head. Relief washed over his apprehensive form with her smile at his cooperation. He was tired of hurting her. He didn't want to see that same hopeless look on her face, as she hopped over the lip of the well 2 weeks ago. With a grunt, he grabbed the shoes, and made a big show of putting them on his feet. She giggled taking that as a silent agreement. _What the hell am I going to tell Light? _She frantically searched for an excuse for Inuyasha just showing up out of nowhere as she tugged him out of the door. "Hey…!" Inuyasha's loud voice began to protest. Kagome dropped his hand and shot him a look that he had seen many times; usually before she proceeded to 'sit' him. He shrunk back behind her, silently pouting as they approached the shrine entry.

Light watched them banter back and forth. _So this must be the reason she is so upset all the time,_ he thought to himself. He smirked as she threw him and apologetic smile and he looked at the man standing next to her. He had long, straight silver hair, causing Light to gape at the odd appearance of the man. He had never seen anything like it. He noticed his odd clothing and began to think he was a cosplayer or just an all around creep. Light's eyes were finally met with this strange person's golden eyes. Light gave a small bow as he heard Kagome introduce them.

"Light, this is Inuyasha, he's…uh, and he's a … a friend..." She stammered. Her eyes were dancing all over the place with nerves. "Inuyasha, this is Light, who is a long-time family friend." Light was thinking over his unusual, old-fashioned name, furthering his overall confusion. The man standing in front of him was peculiar to say the least. Light couldn't figure it out.

Inuyasha huffed a bit, stuffing his hands into his sleeves, "Yeah, yeah nice to meet you, whatever…" This got a stiff smack from Kagome.

"Kami! You are so rude! You burst into my house and expect me to drop everything so I can go with you. Baka!" she couldn't contain her anger, the words burst from her lips before she could bite her tongue. Kagome was livid, her body tensed and her breath came in small, irate puffs. She forgot that Light stood right in front of them, his eyes absorbing every detail. _This is not good_. Kagome's brow twitched with aggravation. She was going to harm Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha, stay here and wait for me, I'm going to visit Lights family for a while. I promised Mom I would so don't even start to argue with me," Kagome's eyes snapped shut, her voice quiet and controlled.

_Shit, _he thought, _today is not the day to piss her off._ He knew if he said anything, further he would receive a few hundred 'sits' from Kagome. He sighed and quickly dashed off to the Sacred Tree, settling on his favorite limb, his eyes never leaving hers. The tree matched his golden eyes; the leaves were slowly falling, dying. He watched the couple as they left the shrine and sighed as he shifted his gaze into the old tree. _If she isn't back by nightfall, I'm going to after her…_

Kagome grabbed Light's hand and dashed down the steps. The walk to Light's house was not very far, and the silence was killing Kagome. She couldn't stand it. "I'm really sorry about him, he's an idiot and he ne….."

She was cut short by Light's smooth inquisition, "He's the reason you are always upset isn't he? May even be the reason you miss so much school…" Her eyes widened slightly, he knew he was right. His eyes narrowed as he continued walking, "Mind telling me why he was dressed like that, and why he hadn't cut his fingernails in months?"

Kagome was screaming at Inuyasha in her head. _Sitting him just won't do, _she chuckled darkly. Light was still waiting for her reply, his eyes were so accusing, and it pissed Kagome off.

"Yeah, he's a little weird sometimes. You'd think he would have grown out of dressing up," she laughed, trying to sound convincing. Light could always see past her. She frowned at this; she was going to have to try harder. _Make up a better story, baka! _

"I'll admit, I did fall for him but soon realized he was a big jerk. He's still in love with his ex!" Kagome threw her hands up in exasperation, furthering the deception, "He strung me along for a while, but once I learned about his ex, I stopped caring." Her voice fell as she admitted this to Light. _Did I really stop caring?_

Light stopped in front of his house, confused. Either she learned how to lie or this Inuyasha really did break her heart. Kagome was not a fragile girl. She was strong-willed and extremely stubborn. If it was true, Inuyasha must have hurt her badly. This pissed Light off, he proceeded to open the gate and walk up the short sidewalk to the door. Before he pushed the door open, he mumbled an apology to the now quiet Kagome.

His family was glad to see Kagome. She did a good job putting on a show of forced happiness and laughter. He watched her, feeling guilty for forcing a confession out of her. Sayu was hanging onto Kagome's every word, her eyes never leaving the smiling girl next to him. Light rolled his eyes sighing to himself; _girls can be so annoying_.Kagome stayed for a while, nothing but tea and conversation.

She insisted on walking herself home, fearing another encounter with Inuyasha. She wanted to avoid that possibility at all costs, figuring she could make it home by sunset. Light agreed to walk her halfway and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Nevertheless, who did they see, on all fours, sniffing the ground, halfway between their houses?

"INUYASHA!"

Inuyasha looked up, eyes wide and full of shock, knowing the wrath that was about to be unleashed upon him.

"Are those dog ears?"

* * *

Ryuk was bored. He ventured into the human world in search of some entertainment. Dropping your Death Note in the human world always ended in bloodshed. He grinned, swooping up an apple from a stand in the busy market. _Oh! I love apples!_ As he flew over the city, his twisted, black wings flapping behind him, he saw something he hadn't seen in a while.

"Is that a half-demon?" he said aloud to himself as he felt a demonic aura from below.

The shinigami hovered over the odd group, decided to drop the notebook behind them. _Demons are always fun to play with._ A tall, raven-haired girl was pointing at the half-demon, her face red and twisted with anger, as she screamed 'sit' repeatedly. The half-demon, in an all red outdated haori, plummeted to the ground with each 'sit' that left her lips. The tall boy behind her stared, unblinkingly, an impious grin on his face.

_This is going to get interesting…_

* * *

Light had a hard time registering what he just saw. Without a word, Kagome fled the scene, stomping off and leaving a crumbled Inuyasha and an extremely curious Light.

"What are you looking at?" The boy with dog-ears yelled at him as he struggled back onto his feet with a groan. Light just stared, and this pissed Inuyasha off more. He left in a hurry, stringing along some very colorful curses and Light finally moved. He blinked and headed down the sidewalk, attempting to register what happened. He saw something lying on the sidewalk. He approached he saw it was a black notebook. He bent over and scooped it into his hands.

"Death Note," he read aloud. A laugh bubbled from his lips. He opened the cover, reading what someone had scribbled behind it. _If I write someone's name in here, they will die. _Laughing even harder, he began to walk towards his house, notebook in hand and a slow grin on his face.

* * *

Beyond sat in front of his television like a giddy school kid, and listened to L question Kira. His black hair fanned in every direction, and wild, red eyes gleamed out from underneath his unkempt mane of hair adding to his already insane guise.

_So, Kira is in Japan, _B thought to himself. That means he knows where L is going to be.

"Time to go to Japan," a depraved smile on his lips and a laugh to match, Beyond stretched. He knew this was his time to make a move.

* * *

"Watari…" came a soft, quiet voice.

The man turned to look at the mighty L, who sat with his knees to his chest and played with a cup sugar cubes in front of him. Watari already knew what L was going to say.

"We are moving this investigation to Japan," L looked up at him, the dark circles under his eyes indicating he had not had any sleep in a week or two. L's dark eyes flicked to the map of Tokyo on his computer screen, "Please make the necessary arrangements." Watari nodded, bowed, and left L alone to his thoughts.

_Kira, I will find you. _The curious man went back to stacking sugar cubes, thinking about the long task ahead of him.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thank you to everyone who reviewed, I love getting feedback and I am happy people like the story so far! I was mostly synchronizing up the time lines in the first chapter. The story will take an angsty turn when a series of events leave Kagome at a loss. In addition, I would like to have an editor, PM me if you are interested. Here is the next chapter!  
_*Updated on 2/16/11_

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Death Note or Inuyasha.

**A Strawberry for Your Secret**

**

* * *

**

Chapter Two

After the night she found Inuyasha on the sidewalk, everything changed. Her anger exploded from her and she didn't have the strength to hold back. She ran. She ran from Light, who watched as Inuyasha was crushed into the sidewalk with Kagome's fury. She fled the scene, not looking to see if Inuyasha followed. She was panting by the time she pushed her front door open. Her mother popped her head out of the kitchen, immediately moving to Kagome with a worried expression. Kagome shrugged her off and darted up into her room, proceeding to stuff her backpack with clothing and books. Her window flew open, causing Kagome to jump and let out a small squeal. Inuyasha sat on the window, glaring holes into her skull. Kagome clenched her jaw and threw her backpack over her shoulder without a word, slamming her door in his face. She went back with Inuyasha that night without a word to anyone. Afraid Light might seek answers, Kagome ran away into the past.

The following months went by in a blur. Kagome spent most of the winter in Feudal Japan, missing another few weeks of school. She spent most of her time in with Inuyasha, studying in between battles and traveling, going home for supplies and a bath, only to return to the past the following day. Her grades hovered a little above average, and with enough effort on her exams, Kagome could pass.

A few weeks after Light saw Inuyasha, she went back to her own time to take some exams. The moment Kagome arrived Souta bombarded her with news of Kira. Supposedly, this man was killing off all the criminals in the world without lifting a finger. _What is this world coming to?_ There was endless talk of Kira. The internet exploded with sites praising this mass murderer, calling him a God. Sure, crime rates had dropped, but not allowing anyone a second chance peeved Kagome. She hoped that the detectives would find this warped human with a god-complex the size of Japan, and kick his ass.

Kagome hugged her little brother, mumbling that he watched too much T.V. to her mother as she went up to her room. She drew herself a bath and submerged herself below the hot, soothing liquid. It had been a while since she had shampoo and some soap. The battles were becoming more frequent, and Naraku had begun to pump out multiple reincarnations. Kagome sighed as she lathered the creamy shampoo into her scalp and dipped back under the water's surface. The steam of the bathroom had Kagome in a lethargic daze. Her head rested on the back of the tub as she gazed at the white, popcorn ceiling lost in thought. She heard her mother for her through the thick wood of the bathroom door, telling her supper was done whenever she was ready. The thought of her mother's delicious home cooked meals jolted Kagome out of her reverie. She quickly changed and donned a towel, wrapping it around her thick, black locks as she left the warmth of the bathroom. Kagome shuffled downstairs, settling down at the table opposite her mom as her eyes gazed at the feast in front of her. "Ikadakimasu!" she said sweetly, with a small bow and a smile firmly planted on her lips.

Kagome had just begun to tear into her dinner when her brother burst into the kitchen, "Mom! Kira just killed someone on T.V.!"

Her mother sighed and pushed away from the table, accompanying Souta to the living room, where the T.V. blared. Kagome leaned back in her chair, curiosity over the new mass murderer outweighing her hunger; she left the table to join her family in the living room. She plopped onto the sofa next to her mother and watched the showdown between a man claiming to be the great detective, L, and Kira.

_Now why the hell would he show himself like that? Is he asking to be killed?_ Kagome's thoughts screamed at the stupidity.

Then it clicked. There is no way L would show _his_ face. He had solved some of the worst and seemingly impossible cases around the world. He was a genius. Showing his face would ultimately mean his death. Kira would be an idiot if he fell for this.

Her mother and Souta sat in silence, watching the screen with wide, unblinking eyes. Her mother's face pinched with worry as she watched the television. Kagome could hear Gramps whistling a tune outside while he locked up the shrine, completely oblivious of the world around him. Kagome frowned and pushed off the sofa with a sigh, she had seen enough. As Kagome started padding over to the stairs, 'L' collapsed. She whipped her head to look at the TV. _No way, _her thoughts raced.

"Is that man really dead?" her mother gasped, with a delicate white hand clasping her mouth. The screen switched from the studio where the man was being dragged out of frame, to a white background with the letter 'L' written in an elegant, black font. A robotic voice filtered through the TV, sending chills down Kagome's spine.

L was provoking Kira, knowing that without a real name and a face, Kira could not kill him. L revealed that this broadcast was only being shown in certain regions at separate times in order to pinpoint his location. L had successfully deduced where Kira was and how he killed in a matter of seconds. _Damn he's good, _Kagome chuckled to herself. The detective's plan had worked, but that meant that Kira was in Japan and in the Tokyo area no less. With a quiet sigh, Kagome crept up the stairs, retreating to her room in hopes of catching up in her studies.

As she swung her door open, she caught a glimpse of the white hair hanyou. Inuyasha sat in her window, his face unreadable and placid as he watched her. She plopped on her bed, belly first and hugged a pillow to her face. "You could learn to use the door and not scare me like that," she mumbled into the soft fabric.

"Sounds like that Kira stuff you were telling us is getting pretty bad," he said softly, ignoring her complaints. She shifted her head to look at him and nodded, eyes sliding to the math book on the end table. She wouldn't be able to focus with Inuyasha mutely staring at her.

"Did you come to annoy me to death and drag me back or what?" Her abrupt question stung. She had been different lately. Her eyes were always clouded with thought, and he could tell that her double life was becoming harder on her. She was continuously torn between two different eras, and she hadn't brought herself to choose which one she belonged in. He knew the final battle was close, and he had a feeling that churned deep in his gut, warning him that something bad was going to happen. The pit of his stomach bubbled with anxiety as he thought about it. When she left a few days before the feeling grew worse, and he couldn't stand it anymore. He had to make sure she was okay.

His long pause made her uneasy, she sat up, legs crossed and waited for him to say something. His eyes held secrets; the milky gold was swarming with things left unsaid. He shook his head, his silvery hair shimmered with his movements, "I have a bad feeling Kagome, like something is going to go wrong," his eyes fell from hers; he placed one of his clawed hands on his stomach. "I just wanted to make sure everything was okay here."

She smiled, feeling a little guilty for her harsh question, "It's usually me getting those feelings, and you never believe me." He scoffed and turned his gaze outside her window. He sat there for the rest of the night in silence. She eventually dozed off, sitting on the desk with her head resting one of her thick school textbooks. He scooped her up from the chair, laid her on the bed and covered her with a blanket. Inuyasha pounced off her roof, perching in the Sacred Tree, only to disappear into the past just before sunrise.

Kagome awoke with a start; her eyes scanned the small, tidy room for Inuyasha. _He left,_ she sighed noting the blanket with a sleepy smile. She was just happy that they didn't fight this time. At least she could go to school and not worry about Inuyasha trying to sniff her out. One glance at the clock had Kagome scrambling out of bed, _oh crap! I'm going to be late!_

She made it to school; her friends swarmed her, hugging Kagome and filling her in on the latest gossip. She heard one of them mention Light and froze. _Light. _She recalled the last time she saw him, her nerves made her stomach turn. He was in her class so she couldn't avoid him entirely. She sat at her desk waiting, nervously playing with the sleeve of her uniform. Light walked in before the first bell, striding across the classroom and tossing a glance at her. His eyes widening slightly as he found Kagome's. She attempted a sheepish smile and waved, he nodded his head in her direction sat in his usual spot by the window.

While happy that Light didn't seem to be mad at her, she tentatively shifted her gaze to the frightening monster that followed Light. Since she sat in the back of the room, neither Light or the demon noticed her intense scrutiny. It resembled a demon that she would run into in Feudal Japan with Inuyasha, not at her school hovering next to Light. She knew that no one else was able to see this extremely tall, distorted figure lurking in Light's shadow. It was invisible to the rest of the world, but not to a miko. The monster was gray, head to toe, and had wild patches on fur on the shoulders of his skintight shirt. His yellow eyes and constant grin were what scared Kagome the most. She wasn't sure if Light saw the figure until she saw him mumbling under his breath. _What is going on? Had he lost his mind?_ It took a lot of effort for her to focus and keep her eyes from the figure hovering next to Light.

She stayed for that week, making up exams and attempting to catch up with her work. By Friday, Kagome thought her brain would explode. He rubbed her temples as she plucked up her stuffed yellow satchel and padded to the well house. There wasn't any time to dwell on the monster in her era because the final battle with Naraku was fast approaching. After yet another battle, Kagome's eyes flicked to her group of friends as she sat by the small, crackling fire. Shippo was already asleep, his body nuzzled next to her. She could feel his short, even breaths against her arm. Sango was leaning on Kirara, attempting to sleep. She spent most of her days in quiet contemplation, worrying over the fate of her younger brother, Kohaku. Miroku tried his hardest to lighten the mood of the group but even Miroku could not deny the horrible darkness that began to settle in their minds. The air was heavy, thick with worry and anticipation.

She looked at Inuyasha, knowing his thoughts were with Kikyo. He sat away from the group, legs crossed and Tessaiga on his lap. Kagome had watched, tears brimming over her eyes, while he held Kikyo's body. They all watched helplessly, as she died in his arms. Inuyasha kissed her one last time and Kagome broke into pieces for the last time. Inuyasha's constant far-away look just enforced her decision to let her hopeless love for Inuyasha go. She knew that she was sent here for this task. Fate chose her to bring the jewel back to its rightful place and destroy it forever. The well was open so long as the jewel remained, after it was destroyed, she had no idea what to expect. Kagome hoped for the best, but expected the worse. Her powers had grown immensely, but not in time to save Kikyo, and definitely not enough to force the well to remain open. Either way, Kagome was going to lose.

While resting in the village after a series of battles with Naraku's many incarnations, Kagome was able to speak to Kaede of the monster following Light. The old woman sat in the same hut that Kagome was brought to the day she crawled out of the well. Lady Kaede's face was wrinkled, her gray hair pulled back, a patch over her right eye, and she wore the same miko garb Kikyo wore. Kaede hadn't changed in the 4 years Kagome had known her.

"Child, I believe you speak of a Death God, a shinigami." The old priestess was perplexed. She had only seen one in her lifetime. It was rare for any human or miko to see one. Kaede continued, "Shinigami tend to avoid the human realm, for every time a God of Death steps foot in the human world, there is wide spread disaster."

Kagome shivered. She took the newfound information with her into her own era. A quick search online revealed endless sketches, websites, and articles that were full of information. _I travel back in time 500 years through a well, _she laughed_, so I don't think this is too far of a stretch. _All the sketches looked different; none of them resembled Light's shinigami. Since she had only seen the Death God, she didn't have much information to go by; she would have to speak with it. _I need to draw its attention._

* * *

The moment Ryuk saw her with the half-demon; he knew there was something different about the girl. The flow of time is different for her and her aura pulsed with the powers of a priestess. Since he has been a shinigami, Ryuk has never seen numbers like this floating over someone's head. He was curious about Kagome.

One boring, normal day he noticed her blatantly staring at him during one of the classes she shared with Light. Ryuk blinked, and decided to saunter over closer to her, curiosity getting the best of him. Light paid no mind to Ryuk shifting about the room; he had learned to tune him out while he was at school to avoid looking suspicious. He was under constant surveillance now a days, so Light was on a tight leash. She continued to acknowledge his presence as he drew near with a slight nod of her head. Her eyes slid down to the paper underneath her fingers, 'I need to talk to you, follow me home'. He stared, eyes wide, at the message and then to the young woman for a while, contemplating what to do. After she knew that she had gotten his attention, she ignored him completely, her eyes turned back to the board. He shifted around the room some more and finally came back beside Light. He was particularly interested as to why she could see him and why her numbers were all funny.

"Light-o, I have special shinigami things to do this afternoon, so I'll find you when I'm done," Ryuk said in a bored, uninterested tone. He was twisting his head and hopping around on one of his legs, his body contorting into impossible shapes. "How much longer until I get an apple, I can barely handle this torture." Light shrugged slightly, gave a small smirk, and continued with his work. When the bell sounded, Light packed up his work and left the classroom, not looking back to see if Ryuk was following. Ryuk drifted lazily out of the building and found her waiting outside the entrance of the school. She remained silent and oblivious as she walked home, with a shinigami on her heels.

She walked into her home, went straight upstairs and locked her door. As she turned around, she remembered Kaede's warning of Death Gods only causing destruction. Kagome could find no better explanation for the appearance of Kira. As she looked at the creature in front of her, she shivered, feeling its dark aura.

"Yo," he said, his huge grin widening further. His yellow, bulging eyes looked at her expectantly. He sat on her bed, his legs twitching and head tilting to the side like a puppy. _Maybe she has apples…_

"What the hell are you," she demanded in a strong voice, her eyes not leaving his.

He was amazed that she held no fear of him. "I'll tell you, Miko, if you give me an apple." She looked at him, perplexed by his odd demands. Kagome left her room, snagging a few apples off the table and dashing upstairs. To Ryuk's delight, she returned with a few apples and tossed one his way. _Oh, how I've missed you, _he stared at the apple adoringly.

She waited. He finished the apple in the blink of an eye, his mouth still full as he mumbled, "I'm a shinigami, Death God, the name's Ryuk." He sighed happily, tapping his stomach with his hands.

"I was right," she sighed and slumped into her desk chair, "Why you are here, Ryuk, and what are you doing with Light?"

Ryuk eyed the apples again, receiving another; Ryuk was so easy to please. "I dropped my Death Note, and Light picked it up." Her face twisted into a look of confusion once again, Ryuk carried on, "That night with the half-demon, I saw you, your time is all funny," he said pointing a finger above her head.

"You know Inuyasha?" her voice full of disbelief.

"Well, I've been around for a while, and he was pretty popular back in the day. You know that though don't you, Kagome?" She continued to stare, tossing him an apple, forcing him to continue. She didn't have to ask any questions, he knew what she wanted to know. "If you write a person's name in the Death Note, that person will die within 40 seconds of writing their name. I can see everyone's name and life span above his or her heads. Light cannot, but you probably figured this out already."

Kagome couldn't believe what she was hearing. Ryuk had just spilled it all to her for a few apples. _He is obviously not on anyone's side,_ she thought. "Are you going to tell him about our meeting?" She worried. Light might be her friend, but after hearing he has the ability to kill by just writing down a name, she didn't know what to think anymore.

"If I want to live, I would not harm a miko." He said this as she tossed him her last apple. "I've witnessed the powers of a miko before, and I don't wish to ever again. If I recall, you are one of the world's last and most powerful mikos. So, no, Light will not learn of our meeting." He licked his fingers after he demolished the apple, "It is up to you, Kagome. Do what you wish with this information." Ryuk waved, his wings growing out of his back with a sickening sound, and he flew threw her ceiling, disappearing.

She couldn't breathe.

* * *

L sat on his chair, knees bent up to his chest, his dark eyes scanning the 8 computer screens in front of him. The cameras placed in the Yagami household were displayed, streaming live, on the computer screens. The team made their base in a large hotel, across from the police headquarters. This investigation was the first to challenge L in quite some time; he smirked as he stabbed the cake in front of him. He had been watching Light Yagami for a week straight. Everything was going as planned for L, except that criminals were still dying and Light wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary. L brought the fork to his mouth and chewed while he thought. Something is missing and L was hell bent on figuring it out. He had finally narrowed down the police for to 5 men that were willing to risk their lives for justice.

He looked over at the police chief sitting next to him. Soichiro looked at L with hope in his eyes, "Is my son cleared?" L played with the fork in front of him, "Less than 3 percent." L said in a quiet, bored voice.

"Does that mean you will take out the cameras?" Light's father wanted his family cleared so desperately. He refused to believe his son could be Kira. He took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. His head was pounding. A week of non-stop work investigating his own son as well as the murders taking place on a daily basis had left him exhausted.

"Yes." As reluctantly as L was to remove the cameras, he secretly had the FBI following those working on the Kira case. L kept this from the rest of the team, but was glad to know that if anything unusual happened, he would find out.

"Go home to your family, Yagami-sama, you need some rest."

With that, L unwrapped a sucker and popped it in his mouth. _Mmmm, strawberry,_ he thought to himself as hopped out of his chair. Everyone stared at him as he did since he had barely moved from that spot for a week. He shrugged, put both hands in his pockets, and slumped off towards his room. His black hair bounced around his face as he walked. It was unkempt but it framed his pale face perfectly.

His mind raced as he ambled down the hallway, popping the sucker out of his mouth and sighing. If he didn't get any leads soon he would have to do something drastic. Desperate times call for desperate measures. He might even have to reveal himself to Light. _Only time will tell, _he thought to himself. He went into his room, which hadn't really been touched since they made base in the hotel. He could tell the tide was about to turn and figured he would need some sleep.

As he lay there, waiting for sleep to claim him, his mind wandered to his past, before the orphanage was built, when it was just him and Watari. He remembered his first and only friend bouncing around him with pure delight. L stood there, unsure of himself, but happy as she grabbed his hand and they ran to the playground. Watari looked on, smiling as he watched the bubbly little girl drag L along, forcing him to play. It was one of the only times he can remember smiling. Her face danced behind his eyes as he drifted to sleep. _What was her name again….Ka…g…_

* * *

Light was getting annoyed by the heavy surveillance. He knew the Death Note would come with consequences, so he adapted and evolved as more and more challenges were thrown at him. He wasn't a genius for nothing. The cameras and wiretaps still littered his house, not allowing the slightest chance for anyone to breathe without L seeing them. The day that Ryuk said he had to leave Light for a while made him curious. Usually shinigami don't wander far from their Death Notes, so he wondered what could be so important.

While walking home from school that day, someone seemingly appeared out of nowhere and walked next to him, keeping in step with Light. Confused, he looked to his right at the man next to him, "Uh…Hi, do I know you?" Light asked nervously, catching the stranger's scarlet red eyes. Light had stopped walking and stared at the mysterious, slumped figure in front of him.

The stranger smiled, shifting so that his lips were inches from Light's ear. A raspy, low voice whispered, "Hello, Kira."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thanks to all my Tumblr buds that encouraged me to continue with the story. I love you guys.  
_*Updated 3/31/2011_

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Death Note or Inuyasha.

**A Strawberry for Your Secret**

* * *

Chapter Three

"_You have to leave?" The little Kagome cried, squeezing his hand as if to make him stay. He looked helplessly into her wild brown eyes, strands of her black hair stuck to her tear-streaked face. L stood there, 8 years old, an orphan, and about to leave behind his only friend. _

"_I'm sorry, K," he shifted uncomfortably, and attempted to hide his own tears by looking at the ground. He remembered her laughing when he said his name was L, and she insisted that he only call her by her first letter too. She thought he was hiding his real name, when in fact; she was the only person outside of Wammy's that knew him as L. He pulled her into a quick hug and turned around, grabbing Watari's hand as they walked to the black car waiting on the curb. His heart clenched as she kept calling out to him._

"_L! Don't go!" The car pulled from the sidewalk and he watched, as Kagome stood there wide-eyed, staring at the car as it disappeared down the street. _

He felt the memory wane and shadows took him into a restless world of nightmares. He saw red. Everything, walls and furniture alike, caked with crimson smears and splatters. L stood in the middle aged, abandoned home, one that was always rumored to be haunted. The cream paint was cracked and peeling from the stained, grimy walls. The windows were boarded with now rotting wood and debris littered the floor. Dust caked every surface of the home, flittering passed the thin beams of sun that trickled through the blackened windows.

He recognized the place immediately. It was the home that he lived in with Watari until he went to the orphanage. The random pieces of furniture scattered throughout the room played tricks on his eyes as they danced from shadow to shadow. The darkness was tangible. The eerie silence made him anxious; his heart thumped loudly beneath his chest.

Unmoving, L remained a slouched dark mass as he brought a thumb to his lips in thought. As he pushed his pale, thin lips to the nail of his thumb, he felt a viscous, warm liquid smudge across them. He brought his other hand to wipe at his lips, but found that both hands were caked in a scarlet red. His eyes widened as he brought his hands into view, his face pinched in horror.

He was covered in blood.

L's eyes frantically darted around the room, falling from his usually calm guise. L took a step back as he heard a breathy laugh from his left. The laugh was a horrid cackle, breathy and unnatural. He would notice it anywhere…

_Beyond._

L froze. His dark eyes flicked to the left and found those of Beyond Birthday.  
A sickening, sloppy sound followed his string of forced laughter. Beyond sloshed his fingers into a jar, scooping the burgundy jam into his mouth.

Blood and jam.

L's legs were locked in place, fear creeping throughout his entire form. He was soon face to face with himself, but with eyes as red as the blood that stained his hands. "Found you," B whispered.

He woke with a start, snapping up to a sitting position. His mind swarmed with the image of Beyond approaching, slopping the gooey preserves into his mouth. Shaking his head, L glanced at the clock, its red numbers the only light in the room, _4:17am_. He flipped on a light, breathing a sigh of relief. Sometimes the dream would continue for what felt like an eternity of him running from the only person he feared…Beyond Birthday.

_4 hours of sleep should be enough, _he yawned. All the sweets he consumed kept him from sleeping more than 5 hours at a time. He always felt horrible when he woke up; he was having a ghastly sugar crash. He sat against the headboard, hugging his knees to his chest, allowing himself time to wake up and shake off thoughts of Beyond and a long lost friend. He tried to entertain his mind by admiring the lavish room he had and with thoughts of the investigation, but his mind kept wandering to the past. _I hate sleep, _he thought grumpily, _I am wasting time._ With a huff, he scooted off the bed and made his way to take a shower.

* * *

"I still don't understand how someone could do this," Matsuda said, as he stood abruptly, "They weren't criminals! They were innocent people!"

The 12 FBI agents that L had tracking possible Kira suspects were all killed, as well as their leader. Kira was behind this, without a doubt. L knew that one of the people they were tracking had done it, but he needed the proof. L sat in front of his laptop, dropping sugar cubes into his tea, stirring as he thought. He took a drink and turned his head to look at Matsuda. "One of the agents had information that would have exposed Kira," he sounded bored, "So Kira killed them all, in an attempt to cover up a mistake he made." L paused, picking up his tea, "Raye Penbar was one of the FBI agents killed. He had a fiancé in Japan with him while he investigated; Naomi Misora." He took a sip, holding the cup with his thumb and index finger, the other fingers spread out widely. "She disappeared recently. Raye was the FBI agent that was following Light." L's dark eyes shifted to Soichiro, Light's father.

Naomi's disappearance shook him to his very core. He had worked with her to capture Beyond Birthday a few years ago. He shivered; _Kira will pay for her death. _"She and I worked on an important case a few years ago, The Los Angeles BB Murders, if you recall. I know that she would be upset Raye died, but I also know she would have sought answers, not death." He put his thumb on his lip, pouting. He knew that while the information pointed to Light, he once again had no solid evidence to arrest him. He also was still unsure how Kira killed. A name and a face, but what did he do with that information that lead to mysterious heart attacks?

"Light's attending To-Oh University next fall, am I correct?" He knew he was but asked anyway in order to announce his new strategy.

"Yes," Light's father responded, glaring at L from across the room, "So, Light's at the top of the list once again?"

"You understand why, Yagami-sama." He swiveled his chair around to face everyone, "I'll be attending To-Oh next fall as well." He was going to expose himself to Light, hoping that by having direct contact, he could prove that he was Kira. Everyone stared; no one said a word after L told the team this. He saw Watari shake his head; he understood the dangers of exposing L exposing himself. He disagreed with L's plan, but saw no other way for Light to be completely cleared as being Kira.

This case was stretching L further than he had ever had to go before. For a moment, he doubted his decision, but he would give his life for justice. To save thousands of people, criminals or not, L would gladly sacrifice himself if it meant Kira would be stopped.

"Ryuzaki," Watari's voice cut through his train of thought, "We just receive reports of former investigators in the Kira case being murdered. They are brutal homicides. I'm sending the files to you now."

L swung his chair around and faced his laptop once more, quickly assessing the new cases. "Someone is attempting to gain information on the Kira case, but they are using unnecessary and horrid methods." L put his thumb to his bottom lip in quiet contemplation. "So, we now have a murderer and Kira to worry about, but why would someone go to these lengths for information? Is it to kill Kira himself, or to stop our investigation? Did Kira team up with someone?" Whatever the reason, L would unravel the secrets behind this case just as he had in all the others. He went back to adding sugar to his tea as the team bustled around him, helping in any and every way to end this senseless bloodshed.

* * *

"Hello, Kira," came the raspy voice of a stranger. Light simply gawked as the man continued, "Oh, how rude of me, I meant to say Light Yagami"

Light's stomach turned. His thoughts were a blurry mess, "How do you know my name?"

The man had a mop of shaggy black hair, which was contrasted by his pale, ashen skin. His eyes made Light most wary, for they shimmered a cavernous crimson, like a blood red moon. The stranger slumped in front of Light, hands buried deep within the pockets of his blue jeans; his face void of all expression. His voice was just above a whisper, only inches away from Light's face asked, "Why can't I see your life span, Light Yagami? Why does L think you are Kira? Do you have eyes like mine? "

_He has the eyes, _Light thought to himself frantically, _and somehow knows of the investigation,_ "Who are you?" Light was shaken but refused to show it. He didn't move or step away from the stranger in front of him.

"Call me, Rue Ryuzaki," the man replied as he cupped the side of Light's face, grinning. Light stood unmoving, his face scowling at his intrusion, "We'll meet again, Kira, I promise. I'll figure out your secret." He watched the man saunter off across the empty street, disappearing from sight. Light had to fight himself to remain calm. His face felt absolutely disgusting.

Ryuk flew into Light's room shortly after the incident with the strange man. Ryuk floated anxiously around his room, floating through his ceiling and disappearing through his door. Light sat, unmoving, staring blankly at his computer. His fists clenched on either side of the laptop that sat in front of him, his russet, smooth locks masking his eyes.

"Hey, Light-o," Ryuk moved next to the desk, "the cameras are gone!" The shinigami bounced around the room excitedly, eventually sinking onto Light's bed. "Does this mean I get an apple?"

Light stood with a sigh and left his room, "Hey! Why are you still ignoring me?" Light pointed to his ears with an impatient frown, "Oh, the wiretaps might still be here." Ryuk giggled as Light tossed an apple over his right shoulder and grabbed another as he retreated to the safety of his room.

* * *

Kagome stood in her room, unmoving while she processed the information Ryuk had given her. Tears welled in her eyes as she thought, but Kagome fought them back. What could she do? She briefly amused herself with the idea that Ryuk was lying. Like anyone would believe me if I said I received my information from a shinigami! Kagome stubbornly refused to run away from this. Could I get Light to change his mind? She plopped onto her bed, hugging her knees up to her chest. She knew it was hopeless because Light was as stubborn as she was. She didn't want to abandon her friend, Kira or not, she would not leave Light alone in this. He just went a little psycho, that's all, she laughed nervously to herself. Who am I kidding? If Light is Kira and realizes I know…Kagome shivered at the thought. Would he kill her if she got in his way? How far would he take this?

Kagome shot up from her bed, grabbing her backpack as she darted downstairs. "Going to Light's, I'll be back for supper!" she hoped her mom heard her. Slinging the backpack over her shoulder, she bounded down the stairs of the shrine and prayed to the Gods that she could find some way to stop Light. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. While he was her friend and probably Kira, who was the enemy of justice itself, Kagome thought it was best to keep a close eye on him. She would come to find that that was a mistake.

Kami, how long can I keep this up? Lying was not her strong suit and everyone knew it. She didn't want to pride herself with being able to deceive others, but she needed to do a damn good job fooling Light. He stared at her and remained silent for what felt like an eternity. The door was half way open, and he leaned against the door jam, his hair was a mess and his school shirt was untucked from his slacks. Although he appeared relaxed, and any girl at school would have swooned at the sight, she could tell something was on his mind by the way he looked at her. Well duh, baka, he is Kira! Of course, there is a lot on his mind! His eyes were masked with thought and a frown settled on his brow.

"You could have called so I would have known you were coming over," he said as he pulled the door open, stepping aside so she could come in.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch, Light, I just missed you!" It wasn't a complete lie. While she did miss him, she worried more that he would never talk to her again. "What's going on, Light? You're a complete mess." She let her eyes travel over his muddled appearance. The usual, perfect Light was not standing in front of her.

He shrugged, "That's why you should have called." He moved to the kitchen and put on some tea. She sat at his kitchen table, waiting for the third degree about Inuyasha, or her recent sling of absences. He said nothing. Something set him off. Light usually kept silent when he was extremely peeved. I shouldn't have come, she felt instantly defeated. Her friend, her Light, was slowly turning into a monster. She felt bleak.

While Kagome poured over her pent up emotions, Light stood at the counter, his back to her as he prepared tea. "Silent treatment…" Kagome murmured dolefully under her breath, not expecting Light to hear. She kept her gaze at her hands in her laps as he poured the tea.

"When did we make it a habit to keep things from each other?" She finally asked, sounding defeated.

"You are the one with all the secrets, Kagome." He said bluntly, "Whatever made you think I was hiding something from you were probably false assumptions you gathered to counter your own calamity." He sipped on his tea, not looking at Kagome.

"You're right," she mumbled softly, "I want to believe that I'm not the sole reason I'm losing my friend. I honestly do not think explaining my secret will benefit you in any way. I keep my secrets to protect those I love, and all of this will soon be over. Regardless, I know something is going on with you. Hide it under your fancy words if you wish, but I know. I know _you. _I want to be here for you, but I won't just let you lie straight to my face." She stood, glaring at him, and panting as the frustration built angry tears in the corners of her eyes.

"Where did my Light go?" With that, Kagome grabbed her bag and flew out the front door.

* * *

Inuyasha's face flashed behind Kagome's lids for the millionth time that day. A dream of a past she tried so desperately to forget had tortured her throughout the night. Rubbing a throbbing temple, Kagome stepped off subway and hurried above ground. Her stomach was full of anxious butterflies; their wings tickled the sides of her stomach as she made her way towards the large, looming campus ahead. She glanced at the small, silver-clad watch on her wrist, _10 minutes. _She bounced anxiously at a corner, waiting for the light to turn so she could dash across the traffic and make it in time.

It had been half a year since she had seen her Feudal companions. While the dreams of battle and laughter had subsided significantly in that time, she would still have the occasional heartbreaking reminder that they were gone. _It's all over, _melancholy seeping into the cracks of that wall around her stubborn heart. More images flew by; Inuyasha joining her inside the Shikon no Tama, only to be ripped away by the cruel ripples of time, Shippo snuggling next to her while he slept, Sango's smile, and Miroku's wandering hands. Despite herself, she gave a short giggle.

Plucking the small business card from the black clutch she tucked under her shoulder, Kagome double-checked the building number: _To-Oh University, Bld. 58A Room 106. _She tugged nervously at her lip as she faced the lofty, stone building in front of her, squinting in the sunlight. While she was able to graduate high school, her grades were not quite worthy of attending a university. Kagome worked diligently to get into a community college to get good marks and improve her chances of making into a school like To-Oh. She preferred to keep herself busy, studying and working part time at the school library. With a perfect summer semester under her belt, and a fall semester to match, Kagome decided to make an appointment with advisors at different universities to apply and take the entrance exams.

_I hope the advisor here is nicer than the last person was, _she thought with a frown. Sighing stubbornly, she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, locking away the thoughts of her past, and opened the doors. She was met by a welcoming blast of cool air as she marched proudly into the building, a smile firmly planted on her peach lips.

* * *

Light gathered his supplies and made his way out of the lecture hall. The light bit at his eyes and a warm breeze welcomed him. A small smile danced at his lips; quickly replaced by a strangled sigh he fought back a grimace. A memory played once more in his mind…

"_I'm L," said the creepy, shoeless man beside him. His beady, black eyes peeking at him from behind is wild mass of hair._

Two words wreaked devastation upon his plan to change the evil-ridden world. He was confronted by this kink in his road to utopia everyday in the form of a hunched, brilliant detective. "Do you even have classes, Ryuzaki?" Light said with a tint of annoyance as he reached the bench that L perched awkwardly on. _I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing him sit that way…_

"I wouldn't be a student here if I didn't, would I?" L hopped up, pocketing the small, leather-bound book that he had been reading. They began their usual walk to Light's home, smothered in awkward silences and double-ended questions. He pondered the connection between the stranger and the _real _'Rue Ryuzaki'.

As they walked, he heard a familiar voice from across the courtyard, "Light?"

He stopped, looking around. His eyes stopped on the familiar and nostalgic form of Kagome Higurashi. Her untamed, straight black hair draped languidly over her shoulders. It was odd not seeing her in the usual, green school uniform from high school. She wore a fitted, white skirt that fell just above theknee, and stopped just beneath her bust. Her shirt was a pale yellow, with intricate lace details. She looked so mature. _Hnn._

He hadn't seen her since graduation. _Stay away, Kagome_. He saw her attention shift to L her eyes widening with recognition. L stopped a few paces ahead of the now still Light, completely unaware of the girl gawking at him. _Does she know him? _

L had shifted, turning his gaze in time to see Kagome bounding towards him, her black hair swaying with each pace. She leaned into him as she reached the two unmoving men, hugging him to her, "It's you isn't it, L?"

"K…?" His voice held disbelief. She nodded and grabbed one of his hands off her shoulder to hold it in her own.

"I can't believe you came back after all this time and didn't find me!" Kagome playfully complained as she pulled away from the thin, slumping detective.

Light watched anxiously as L pulled Kagome by her outstretched hand and wrapped his arms around her delicate frame. His head rested next to hers, "It has been a while hasn't it, Kagome-chan?"

* * *

Beyond had found information on the detectives that resigned from the Kira case and paid a visit to a few of them. He hadn't really expected any information to come from his little game, but he did expect L to be on his heels. Beyond could have killed them without spilling a drop of blood, but he was feeling dramatic, more blood would get the cases more attention. He wanted to distract L from Kira for a while. _Maybe he will suspect it is me, _B giggled to himself as he sat on the hotel bed. _Kira did not kill me in that prison cell. Kira killed my cellmate. _

L would have a sense of security with B gone, but it would all crumble around him once he realized the Beyond Birthday, in fact, lived. B laughed, a raspy cackle, as he dug his fingers into a fresh jar of strawberry jam while watching the news cover his murders. Beyond was an expert when it came to solving crimes, therefore he knew how to not leave a trace when committing one. The cases would have turned cold if L hadn't stepped in. Beyond murdered three people in total over the span of one weekend. A death a day was nothing to Beyond. He had only known death throughout his life.

When he thought back to his early memories, he could distinctly remember a monster constantly watching him. Even so, he could not remember how he was given the eyes, and he told no one of them. His parents were killed, and he was an orphan. He stayed at Wammy's, competing to become L's successor. The first child taken in and raised to be the one to assume L's role was A. Sadly, A couldn't handle the pressure and committed suicide. B was now first in line to be L's successor. B didn't want to succeed L, he wanted to surpass him. As long as L was alive, Beyond would always be second place. In short, he ran away from Wammy's. L found him and he was thrown in prison for the Los Angeles BB murders. B had specifically executed the murders in order to challenge L and beat him at his own game. L won, and B was even more driven to see L beg for his mercy. _L will die, as well as Kira. _Light Yagami would only get in his way. He would use Kira to get to L. Beyond would eliminate L and no one could stand in his way. _This is my last chance._

Beyond had been playing the waiting game for months before an opportunity appeared. He had been following Light, who now knew L's identity. Getting closer to Kira would be vital if he wanted to get to L. He sat on a bench, watching as Kira and the great detective L passed by in silence. He saw a girl, staring at them as well, from across the yard. He noticed the odd fluctuation of her life span. _Why is it so different? I can't even tell how much time she has. _The numbers were hazy and constantly shifting. He had never seen anything like it. Intrigued by the young beauty already, B got up to make his way over to her. When he heard her call out to Kira, he stopped and gazed at the duo. Light had turned to face her as she bolted towards them. He stood in disbelief as she bounded into L. _There is no way she knows him. _He witnessed L hugging her in return and grinned. He had just L's weakness, and Beyond would extort that weakness to its limits.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks for reading! :]


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** This chapter took so long for me to complete! The holidays kept me busy. So, a belated Happy New Year and Merry Christmas to everyone! I hope you had happy holidays and that you enjoy this chapter. R&R! Thank you to all who reviewed…makes me so happy ;D

I owe many, many thanks to Paige/Scuba Cat. She is my wonderful editor and writing buddy. If it weren't for her, this chapter would have killed me. XD

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Death Note or Inuyasha.

**A Strawberry for Your Secret**

**

* * *

**

Chapter Four

He stood in silence as L embraced Kagome. He never imagined that L would have such a weakness, and Light was uncertain how he would ever be able to use this new knowledge to his advantage. It is Kagome after all, always at the heart of trouble with her resounding heart of gold. He was baffled at the turn of events. "How do you guys know each other?" Light asked bluntly, as he looked at the pair. L pulled away, keeping his eyes on her delicate face. His hands were clasped in hers. Light looked at Kagome, a radiant smile graced her lips. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes danced all over L's face. She dropped one of his slender, pale hands to tuck some of her unruly hair behind her ear, her eyes shifting timidly to the ground.

As she did this L turned to look at Light with a sheepish smile pulling at his lips, he cleared his throat, "I lived in Japan with my guardian, Watari, until I was 8." L glanced at Kagome as he continued, "I've been an orphan ever since I can remember, and Kagome and I were friends when we were children. I left for England to go to an orphanage and haven't seen her since." Light nodded absently as he eyed their joined hands.

She turned her auburn eyes to L and beamed up at him. "I met Light in school. It seems you guys know each other already." Light hadn't seen Kagome like this in years. She was bubbling with excitement; her joy was uncontainable and contagious. "What brought you back? Why didn't you find me?" her features fell at her realization. Her eyes found the sidewalk, her feet shifting nervously back and forth, as she waited for L to answer. L's eyes widened slightly with panic as he thought of a story to tell Kagome. While she called him L, she obviously didn't know he was the great detective.

Light watched as L's body went rigid and said nothing to Kagome. Light stepped in to help. L didn't seem keen on lying and Light feared he might be brutally honest with Kagome. He didn't want her to get involved in any of this, "He's here on a tennis scholarship," L gazed at him gratefully, Light smiled as he continued; "He won the England Junior Cup, after all." Light heard Ryuk cackling next to him. _I bet he is enjoying this madness. _

L gladly chipped in, "The semester has been keeping me extremely busy, and so I haven't had much free time." He stood there awkwardly, scratching his mop of hair while he spoke. His shoulders remained slumped and his expression was emotionless and empty. His tired, murky eyes didn't leave Kagome's face.

L gave a small grin as Kagome accepted his explanation. She grinned, a glint of humor flashed in her eyes, "Since when were you coordinated enough to play sports?" Kagome exploded with giggles when L shot her a fierce look. A look he found hard to sustain with her doubling over laughing. His scowl was quickly replaced with a soft smile. L's shadowy eyes warmed as Kagome's musical mirth left her lips. A slow blush began to climb up L's face, making her sweet amusement intensify. Light found himself chuckling as well. With all their secrets and double lives, they made one hell of a trio.

As if on cue, L's phone rang, snapping everyone out of their reverie. He flipped his phone open and held it awkwardly by his ear, his other hand still gripping hers. "Moshi-moshi?" L answered.

While L was on the phone Light's brain tried to make sense of the new turn of events. He looked at the vulnerable man next to him. L's guard was down because of Kagome. She seemed to have this effect on many people, himself included. There was just something about the bubbly, energetic girl that brought out the best in people. Maybe L finally stopped believing he was Kira. Light tried to entertain himself with that thought. _No, if he didn't believe I was Kira, he would have stopped following me around. _

"Light," L's voice brought him to reality. He slipped his phone back into his pocket, not looking at either of them, "We need to leave." L's voice was firm and sour. Kagome's gaze fell, and she began to nibble on her fleshy bottom lip. Her long, thick hair fell over her shoulders, further hiding her face from their eyes.

Light stood silent for a moment, hesitant of L's unexpected mood change. "Sure," Light said tentatively, "I'll see you around Kagome." Light nodded her way and turned to leave. He saw L do the same; well… he tried to do the same. Kagome gripped his hand, holding it hostage between her own. Her face was hidden behind her messy bangs. He felt bad for Kagome, knowing that she probably thought L would vanish if she let him go. _He most likely will…_

L sighed and turned his gaze to the moping Kagome in front of him, "Wait for me in the car. Watari is in front of the administration building, waiting. I'll be there shortly." L didn't look at Light as he walked off.

_So I guess I'm officially on the case_, he grinned as he slipped a hand in a pocket of his grey slacks. _It was too easy, _he thought as he walked away from the strange couple. His hair tickled his face as the wind tossed it around. _I should probably get a haircut soon, _he thought saw a black town car waiting at the end of the sidewalk and an old man looking his way with a smile. His black suit was nicely pressed and small eyes gleamed from underneath his glasses. His hair was smoothed back, white as snow, and had a mustache to match. He reminded Light of an old sage. _Is this L's caretaker?_

"Nice to meet you, Light," the man said with a small bow, opening one of the shiny black doors.

"Watari?"

"Yes, now where is Ryuzaki?" Watari's old face wrinkled with his question.

"He's saying goodbye to Kagome," Light said dismissively and moved to enter the vehicle. He watched Watari's face light up with surprise as he passed him.

"Kagome...?" Watari's voice sounded like a haunted whisper.

Light slid into the car, wondering why Watari was so struck by Kagome's appearance.

* * *

L's elation at seeing Kagome was short-lived. His phone vibrated in his pocket; keeping a hand clasped to hers, he dug out the device and held it to his ear. "Moshi-moshi?"

"Ryuzaki, we need to get to headquarters as soon as possible," Watari said in his usual calm tone, "There have been 4 more murders attached to the serial killer." _More murders? _

"I'll be there soon," L said, snapping the phone shut, returning it to his pocket. He hated saying goodbye to people. _I should leave with Light. _ He glanced at Light and told him they must leave.

"I'll contact you through Light-kun," L said, his voice void of any emotion. As he turned to leave, she held on to his hand as she had when he left Japan many years ago.

As Light meandered off to the car, he turned his attention to Kagome; her face was downturned and hidden. "I'm not leaving for good this time," he said with a slight smile. The warm breeze rustled around them. L watched her hair sway around her face, brushing the curve of her neck. L's eyes traveled with every flicker of her raven black hair as he thought. She always reminded him of summer, with her wild hair and warm spirit. Her dark eyes sang with compassion, as did her actions. He tucked a finger under her chin, his other hand imprisoned by Kagome's, and lifted her face. Kagome was an open book, L knew if he saw her face he would be able to determine what was running through her mind.

"I don't want to lose anyone else, L." She said in a sad whisper, tears welded in her eyes. "I can't watch you walk away again. Stay." Her eyes shone fiercely.

"Kagome," he started softly. He didn't want to leave so soon, he had missed the bundle of joy since he left Japan, but he had no option. As the internal battle waged on he heard Light yelling from the car.

"Ryuzaki, we need to go!" Light impatiently popped his head out of the car window as he called to L.

"Ryuzaki," she mumbled quietly, "is that your real name?" He nodded, not wanting to discuss his infamous day job.

"Please understand. I promise you'll hear from me soon." His hand slipped from hers. He turned and left her standing there; the moment sparking a memory he'd like to forget. "I never forgot you, K," he said gently as he turned away. L walked to the car, slumped over with a finger at his lip. He didn't allow himself to glance back at her as he slid into the car. Watari's face was perceptive and calm. _He'll defiantly be concerned that she knows too much about me. _L was surprised that she didn't put two and two together yet. The black leather seat squeaked as he brought his knees to his chin, wondering why this felt like the last time he would see her. He noticed Light's gaze on him. He turned to Light and said, "Let's keep Kagome completely out of this." His voice was firm, attempting to stress the importance to Light.

Light nodded tightly and returned to looking out the window as the bustling campus passed them by. L retreated into the recesses of his mind, trying to bury Kagome in its depths. She made him vulnerable. He put her in extreme danger just by being associated with her. He forced himself into the present knowing that his deduction capability would be lowered severely if he did not clear his thoughts. He needed to focus on the case. He saw the hotel approaching, and gathered himself as Watari pulled up to the curb.

They entered the lush, over decorated lobby and hopped onto a waiting elevator. L hit the 16 and turned to Light once the metal doors had shut, his face uncomfortably close to Light's. "What is it, Ryuzaki?" Light's eyes narrowed, his voice thick with irritation.

"I'm officially asking if you will help me with the Kira case," L stated, his eyes never leaving Light's as he searched for any sign of Kira within their molten depths. "I could use your logic and excellent deduction ability." Light began to squirm under his stare. L brought his thumb back to his lips and bit at the nail.

"Of course," Light said earnestly, with a stiff smile, "I would be honored! Does my father know I'll be joining the investigation?"

L shifted away and shrugged, "He will soon."

* * *

Light sat in a plush, red and white stripped chair, looking at his fellow investigators. They had been pouring over the new murders, attempting to find the missing link between these gruesome killings and Kira for a few days. They were all exhausted and sleep deprived. Light discovered that after a while, coffee stopped doing the trick. The only person who seemed unaffected by the lack of sleep and the amount of work was L. It seemed his demeanor never changed. He sat perched in front of his laptop day after day. His eyes became darker with each passing day. He hadn't mentioned Kagome at all, and Light was starting to wonder if he had imagined the whole incident.

Light allowed his mind to wander, hoping he'd have some kind of revelation. _Who was so desperate for information that they would kill old members on the case? _83 officers and detectives from the Japanese Police Force worked on the case at some time and 7 were now dead. Each crime scene resembled a slaughterhouse after the killer was finished with the victims. Light had never seen anything like it in his life. He had helped solve a few cases before but nothing came close to this. Light couldn't wait until they found the man responsible so he could etch his name in the Death Note. Autopsies revealed that each victim underwent some form of torture before death. Such a cruel, twisted person had no place in Light's new world. _He will die like the rest of them. _What the detectives couldn't figure out was the motive behind the murders. _Is it someone hell bent on finding Kira themselves for revenge? _Light thought this seemed unlikely. If L was having difficulty, it would detour anyone else for trying to find Kira themselves. The crime scenes were spotless. Each murder executed with perfection and not a trace of evidence had been found at the crime scenes. L had sent his own team of investigators to each of the crime scenes and they returned empty handed as well. L sat across from him, in his usual white, long sleeve shirt and jeans. He was crouched over, staring indifferently at the tea in front of him. _He's taking these cases as serious as the Kira case. _"What are your thoughts on these murders, Ryuzaki?" he verbalized his train of thought.

The great detective's dark eyes flicked up from his tea and stared at Light. A long moment passed, unbeknown to the other investigators bustling around them, before L spoke. "At first I thought the killer was after Kira and sought out information in order to capture him themselves. As the case has progressed, however, I've begun to assume the killer is after one of us." This last sentence had Light's eyes squinting with surprise. Everyone around them suddenly stopped what they were doing to listen.

"Us?" Matsuda questioned uneasily, his eyes burning with inquiry. "Why would someone want to kill one of us?" He sat down on the edge of a couch between L and Light.

"Kira has no need for an accomplice. He can kill with a name and a face, and is doing so regularly and effortlessly. He would not need to join forces with anyone, so it is safe to rule out Kira's involvement in the murders. With that, however, comes an infinite amount of questions as to the killer's motives. He has obtained the files from the Kira case before I began to work here in Japan." Watari came in with a cart full of cakes and sweets for L to devour. L's eyes brightened as he began to select which cakes he wanted. He plucked a number of cakes, of all colors and sizes, off the cart and delicately placed them in front of him. He eyed his new collection while he continued, "We also do not know how much information he received from the victims or who the killer is actually after. I have a good hunch that he is after me, but this raises even more serious questions."

Watari began to pass around files of the Los Angeles BB case. Light had never heard of the case and began to rummage through the file, "So this isn't the first time you've been the target of a serial killer?" Light raised his eyebrows at L. He wasn't surprised that someone had already attempted to purge the world of L but was interested why they wanted him dead.

"No," L's cold, baritone voice made everyone stop. His gaze was smoldering and dark; Light had never seen him like this before. He explained, "4 years ago, someone from the orphanage became obsessed with the idea of surpassing me. All the details are in the file. Beyond Birthday was found trying to burn himself alive at the scene of the crime in Los Angeles. He was arrested and sentenced to life in prison, naturally. I have record that he died of a heart attack while in prison earlier this year." L's voice was stale and icy, his black eyes unseeing. "I think he escaped."

* * *

He watched L depart, leaving behind a beautiful yet sullen woman. _Foolish, as always, aren't you L? _She stood there; her eyes remained on the spot where L had climbed into the car and disappeared. Her hands clenched tightly at her side as she began to walk off the lively campus. Beyond was intrigued by the pale beauty and her connection to L, so he followed her. B had taken the identity of his last victim. He was young, with short black hair and a tall lean build. He wore crisp black pants, and a simple white polo. His skin was light, with olive undertones, giving him a foreign look. He walked with confidence as he shadowed Kagome's every step. He would have her in the palm of his hand before she knew it. B smirked at his wicked train of thought.

It was a rather short walk through the bustling outskirts of Tokyo. B entertained his thoughts by watching Kagome's hips sway with each step. He liked the bounce of her hair as she walked. Her black tresses shined with the light of the falling afternoon sun. His mind then wandered to the murders he committed recently. Beyond didn't necessarily enjoy killing, but he was more or less curious of the many ways you could break the human body. He watched as she took a turn into an old shrine with seemingly endless gray steps. The shrine was shrouded by trees, blocking his view of her home and the shrine itself.

B turned and began to walk back towards the city. The day was unordinary. It was September and he enjoyed the sun on his skin and the warm wind that blew through the streets. People went on with their daily lives, seemingly unaffected by Kira and the new brutal killings. The world was used to death. It was inevitable and his red eyes saw it everywhere. This was the only thing that B kept the same when he took his new identity. He caught a taxi when he neared the heart of the city. He stayed in a small and quiet hotel on the edge of Tokyo. The sun was beginning to set and B could already see the night watchers on the prowl, ready to spend a night on the town.

B's night was just getting started as well. The new girl, with the extraordinary life span and beauty to match her mystery, would be his. He would unravel her secrets and wind himself into her life. Everyone close to L had been untouchable. Watari would have been a good target, or one of the trio: Matt, Mello, Near. They were untouchable. After B left the orphanage, he forfeit any chance at using them to overthrow L's rule. Wammy's was big on security and he decided to wait it out. He had been given a gift. Higurashi Kagome. He remembered, in detail, what had transcribed that day, _right before my very eyes. _The city lights passed him by in a blur of thought and fantasy. The sudden stop of the cab snapped B out of his thoughts. He tossed money at the driver, who grunted in response, and hopped out of the dirty cab.

He sat at his computer for a few hours, the low murmur of the T.V. in the background. He had discovered Kagome was 'sick' a lot, which made him very curious. She had secrets, yes, and Beyond Birthday was becoming more curious with her the more he searched. She was friends with the greatest detective in the world, and the most wanted mass murderer. He chuckled. _Dangerous lifestyle, _he sighed inwardly as he moved his blood red eyes to the T.V. across the small room, _I like that._

B was pleased that he got some practice acting like L during the Los Angeles BB investigation, because he was going to put on quite a show to keep Kagome by his side, and away from L. He wanted to take absolutely everything from L, and this time there was no room for failure. B had one more shot. He began to structure his imaginary life in Tokyo and prepared for his call to Kagome the following day. He closed the lid of his laptop, exhausted by all the ruthless scheming, and sauntered to the bathroom. He flicked on the dull, humming light. He began to take off his makeup, erasing the disguise and showing his true face. He was convinced that no one had ever seen his real face, which lay scared and broken underneath the layers of deception.

The next day, Beyond was giddy with excitement. He sat crouched in front of his laptop, finding an apartment to rent while he stayed in Tokyo. Fully furnished, expensive, great view and it was all for her. He weaved his web so intricately that once someone was trapped, B made sure that they would never escape. He dug his greedy pale fingers into a fresh jar of jam. The contents dripped down the side of his mouth leaving behind blood red stains. He suckled every sickly sweet drop from his fingertips before he went into the bathroom to begin his transformation into L. After so many years, the process became easier. While at Wammy's, Beyond mimicked L frighteningly well. After all, he was training to be the next great detective, so B wanted to become the man himself. Each smear of the chalky pale concealer brought B closer to his goal.

He shrugged on the simple garb that L wore day in and day out: a white, loose long sleeve shirt and a pair of relaxed blue jeans. He donned on a pair of ratty old sneakers, no socks, before he slouched onto the bed with a sigh. He plucked his cell phone off the end table, deciding it was time to give little Kira a call. His connection with the girl would ease his way into her life. The phone rang twice before he heard a click and a familiar male voice filter through the earpiece. "Hello?" the voice questioned.

"Kira," was all B had to say before he heard a low gasp and shuffling on the other end. A smirked stretched across his face. "All settled?" Beyond asked, as the other line got quiet.

"Ryuzaki?" Kira's voice was breathy. B could tell he had surprised him.

"Yes, yes, Light Yagami. I have a few questions for you." Without waiting for a response, B continued as he padded over to the mini-fridge, "It seems as though our dear Kagome is close to L…"

He was cut short by Light's low snarl, "How do you know Kagome?"

Beyond chuckled softly, "Oh, she's friends with you as well? How unfortunate. I've kept a close eye on you, little Kira." He grabbed another jar of his favorite jam, "Now," he piped, "we will be teaming up to destroy our friend L. I will be able to befriend Kagome because of my uncanny resemblance to the detective, while you keep him busy with his Kira investigation." He continued to ignore Lights attempts at interrupting him. Beyond paced around his small hotel room while he spoke, "I assume you've heard of the LABB case? L has most likely begun to suspect my escape and involvement in the murders. You are on the team investigating Kira and the mysterious serial murders occurring in Tokyo, correct?"

"Beyond?" Light gasped. His voice astonished and unsure, "How did you kn…"

"There are many ways to break the human body, Kira. We have the same goal here. You and I both want L dead. Distract L. If you allow L to interfere, Kagome will know the true meaning of pain. I'll be checking in on you soon." He snapped the phone closed and plopped down in front of his laptop with a smile. Satisfied and confident in Kira's forced participation in his plan, he plunged his fingers into the cold, squishy jam. He would swing by the apartment to sign some paper work today and give Kagome a call. His jam was left half finished on the desk while he finished off his metamorphosis into the detective. He put in the dark contacts to mask his frighteningly dark, red eyes. _Perfect. _He stared at the reflection in the mirror, pleased with the overall look. He rubbed the dark smudges underneath his eyes making them puff. _She'll never know. _

He plucked the phone out of his pocket and punched in Kagome's number. One ring and he heard a cheerful girl, "Hello!"

"Kagome-chan," B mimicked L's indolent, languid tone flawlessly, "it's L."

He heard a tiny, muted giggle, "L! I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon." He could hear the smile on her face as she spoke.

"I promised I would. Let's meet up somewhere, I dislike talking on phones. Know any good sweet shops?" He wouldn't have any problem stomaching some cake and tea.

"Of course! Hmm, let me think…" she trailed off.

"I'll just meet you at your house while you decide. A walk sounds nice, anyway."

"O..okay, I guess. See you soon?" She hesitated, "You remember where I live, right?"

He smiled at that, recalling the shine, "Yes. I'll be there around 3." He glanced at the clock above the television, _12:30. That gives me plenty of time. _"Ciao, K." He closed the phone, placing it back in his pocket. He slouched out of the hotel, his things in a simple, black overnight bag that hung from one of his shoulders. _Today will set things in motion. _He smiled as he flagged down a taxi and made his way into the heart of Tokyo and Kagome's life.

After the quick finalization of the apartment, he made his way to the shrine. He soon found himself standing in front of a modest, 2 story Japanese style home and knocked on the door. He returned both hands in his pockets and resumed slouching at an uncomfortable angle. The door swung open to reveal a smiling, middle-aged woman. "L!" she practically squealed as she hugged him. _Her mother? _ He saw Kagome over her shoulder with an apologetic smile on her soft face. B stood there awkwardly as she released him, "It has been so long! When Kagome mentioned you were back, I didn't believe her." He nodded and gave a small smile.

Kagome walked over, smiling up at him, "Hi." She turned her head quickly, saying bye to her mom as she grabbed his hand and made her way off the shrine. He tossed a smile and a wave to her mom and returned his attention to the lively girl smiling next to him. Her brown eyes shined, "I know just where to take you!" She dropped his hand as they descended the stairs, "It's not too far."

"It's good to see you again, K," he looked at her. Her hair was pulled away from her face, half of it in a small clip at the base of her head. She wore no makeup, not really needing any. Her eyes were large and brilliant; her lips stained a natural pink. He noticed a blush begin to touch her cheeks as he looked at her. _This is going to be too easy, _he thought as he grinned down at her.

He was glad to see that she was talkative, making it easy for him. _At least she has a soft, pleasant voice. _He crouched on a chair in the small café, devouring a slice of strawberry cheesecake. B loved strawberries, as did L. She nibbled on a cookie in between sentences, picking it apart delicately. He offered information about his time in England, earning her full attention. She sat in a blue long sleeve shirt, a thin, brown jacket hanging on the back of her chair. Strands of her long, raven hair fell over her shoulders, catching his eye. She wore dark, simple blue jeans; her legs were crossed as she gazed at him keenly. An hour had passed by with simple conversation. Her phone vibrated on the table, she shot a rueful look at him, "Answer it, I don't mind."

"Hello?" She said, sounding irritated.

He watched with interest as her face twisted in confusion, "Uh, sure. This is really random, Light." He had to fight back his grin. _Good boy, Kira. _She continued as he thought, "Yeah, I can head over later. Alright, see you then," she closed her phone. "Light can be so weird sometimes," she said dimly.

He gave a short, broken laugh and nodded in agreement. "Light-kun is a good friend," he said, earning a smile from her.

"Yeah, you're right," she pushed her food away from her, leaning on her elbows. "Well, it looks like I'll be having dinner with him and his family tonight. It's just so random," she twirled a strand of her hair as she thought.

"Well," B started slowly, hoping up off the seat in one fluid motion, "let me walk you home, then."

* * *

He paced anxiously in his room; going over what Beyond had told him on the phone. "You couldn't warn me that someone else had been following me?" He growled at Ryuk, who hovered over his bed, "You told me about Raye following me, but you decided not to mention that Beyond Birthday was on my heels?" He was seething. It was hard enough dodging L's ever-watchful eye, but now Beyond. _Doesn't he have the eyes? _

"Light, I see hundreds of names every day. I'm not your body guard." Ryuk said, he yawned, "Besides, I probably would have notice if someone was following you again. That FBI agent really got on my nerves." Ryuk grabbed the apple laying on the desk and bit into the red flesh with a loud crunch.

"Have you ever heard of someone having the Shinigami eyes without having a Death Note?" Light asked.

"Hmm, well now that you mention it I think I heard something about it before." Ryuk downed the core before continuing, "A long time ago, it is said that a miko had cursed a human prince and his bloodline. She gave him the shinigami eyes as punishment for slaughtering her entire village in search of the Sacred Jewel. He would see death everywhere he looked as she did. This upset many shinigami as I recall. While she sacrificed half of her life for it, she had no shinigami to give it to. Waste of life." Ryuk shrugged, "It is only legend, though Light-o. Why do you ask?"

"I think Beyond has them. He doesn't seem to know about the Death Note though. He said he couldn't see my lifespan." Light stopped short as the doorbell rang. He heard his mother happily greeting Kagome downstairs. He shot Ryuk a look before exiting his room and shuffling down the staircase. "Hey, Kagome," Light smiled brightly at her as she turned to look up at him.

"Hi. Thanks for inviting me over." She smiled at his mother, "It has been so long since I've seen everyone."

Sayu came darting down the stairs, her short hair bouncing as she leapt towards Kagome. "Kagome-chan," She hugged her tightly, "my brother has been keeping you from me." She turned to Light and stuck out her tongue.

He gave a small laugh and grabbed Kagome's small hand, stealing her from the greedy hands of Sayu and darting up to his room. She tripped over her feet as she entered the room, stumbling into Light. "Oh," she gasped. Finding her equilibrium she looked at Light, "I'm sorry, Light." Her eyes were wide and nervous. _What's wrong with her?_

"I know it is random for me to want to see you again. When I saw you at the school I felt stupid for staying mad at you for so long," he was never good with apologies, even when faking one. The appearance of Beyond had him on edge. While he didn't care if they remained close friends, he also didn't want to see her used or hurt by a sociopath. He sighed to himself. She doesn't realize the mess she was involved in. _I want to keep it that way._

She plopped on his bed, laying her jacket next to her. He sat in the chair at his desk, flipping on the small T.V. for background noise. He watched as her eyes kept sliding behind him, where Ryuk was bouncing around mumbling to himself about apples. Light had gotten good at ignoring his antics. Her leg bounced around nervously. He shrugged this off as coincidence, _there is no way she touched my Death Note. _

"Well, I'm going to attend To Oh in the spring after I finish up my semester at the community college. So you will be seeing plenty of me again." She smiled as she continued, "I'm so glad that L is back and at To Oh no less!" Her russet eyes lit up, "I saw him today…" She continued to speak but Light didn't hear her. He knew for a fact that she had not seen L today. He was with him investigating the case until an hour ago. He knew that L wouldn't be waltzing around Tokyo with Kagome with the ongoing Kira case. He pinched the bridge of his nose as she stopped talking. He looked at her, _she's already been with Beyond. _Pictures of the murders flashed through his mind. He hid the shudder that shook through his body at his realization.

"Yeah," he started hesitantly, "L is a good guy. It's ironic that you met him before and now I'm friends with him too." He smiled his perfect smile at her._ How could she not notice that it wasn't L she saw today? _Light was frustrated by the new situation. _Beyond Birthday could ruin everything if I'm not careful. _He just needed to figure out how to dissuade Kagome from seeing him again. As he thought this, he heard his mom call up for them. Kagome bounced up off his bed and down the stairs, Light trailing behind her in a fog of thought.

Supper passed by in a blur of happy conversation. They meandered back to his room afterwards, talking about school and easily settling back into their friendship. As they crossed the threshold into Light's perfect and tidy room, they stopped short. Light had left the T.V. on and the word 'KIRA' sprawled elegantly across the screen had them both holding their breath. Light grabbed the remote from the desk and turned the volume up, revealing a robotic voice. Light sat anxiously in his desk chair listening to this imposter. Kagome moved to stand behind him; he could hear her gasp as this new Kira killed off television hosts. _So, another shinigami got bored and the notebook fell into the hands of a complete idiot. _Light gritted his teeth. He knew L would notice this new Kira's tactics, easily deducing that there were now 2 Kiras in Japan.

"Another Kira…" he heard Kagome's faint murmur. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end with her words. _How could she possibly know that there were 2? _

He whipped his head back to look at Kagome. Her face was ghostly and drained of all color. Her lips quivered as she gasped again, raising a hand to cover her mouth. Her watery brown eyes never left the screen, "how did they kill without a name?" They both watched as a man collapsed in front of Sakura Studio.

Her question had Light reeling. _They have the eyes, _he thought as he watched a bus slam into the building holding the telecast. _Is it Beyond?_

"I need to leave," Kagome said frantically as she grabbed for her bag and jacket. Her long, clumsy legs had her stumbling out his door without a backwards glance. He sat there, hands holding his head, for a long time after she left._ How in the world can I turn this around? _His thoughts raced through possibilities and landed on the conclusion that he would have to wait it out. The 2nd Kira seemed to be thoughtless and reckless. He figured if he didn't get involved they would be captured and he would be safe to continue the creation of his utopia.

"Some mess you've gotten yourself into, Light-o," Ryuk said nonchalantly. His menacing, endless grin widening as Light's mouth twitched.

"Can you tell if another shinigami enters the human world?"

"No," Ryuk said, sounding bored. "You sure you don't want to make a deal with me?"

Light glared at Ryuk, not answering his question. His amber eyes burned with anger. His hair fell in front of them as he sat in soundless contemplation. His phone buzzed on the soft wood of his desk causing him to jump out of his skin. He flipped open the phone, "Light Yagami speaking," he answered stiffly.

"Light-kun," L's lazy, unenergetic tone drifted through the receiver, "I need you to come to headquarters tomorrow morning. Can you make it?"

"Yeah," Light responded without hesitation. _He will want me to help investigate the new Kira._

"See you then," L said shortly and hung up.

Light tossed his phone back on the desk and plunged head first into his bed. He flipped onto his back with a hand behind his head. His eyes studied the ceiling as he thought. _I'm going to need some sleep if I plan on making through the next few days. _He assumed L would hold him hostage with paperwork and investigating. Without a word to Ryuk, Light turned onto his side and allowed his mind to rest.

He awoke with a start; his phone rang loudly from across the room. Getting up as fast as his tired body would allow; he reached for the phone and put it next to his ear. His groggy, low voice asked, "Hello?"

"I'm outside, Light-kun," he heard L's reply. He glared at his alarm clock, which read 5:34 and closed his phone with unnecessary force. Grabbing a bag, mumbling angrily under his breath, he packed an overnight bag and changed out of his nightclothes. No one was awake, so as he passed the kitchen he grabbed an apple and tossed it Ryuk's way. He ran a hand through his hair as he walked towards the black car sitting in front of his house. _I didn't get to take a shower, _he complained. Dew hung onto the grass and a chill rode the soft wind. The morning sun was low on the horizon, leaving the world a hazy gray. He closed the gate and hopped into the waiting car.

Upon arrival to the busy hotel headquarters, Light was given the tapes from Sakura Studio and asked to analyze them. He soon realized that L was testing Light, he grit his teeth as he slid a backwards glance at the detective. His wide, dark eyes looked on innocently, a thumb against his pale lips. Light sighed after he watched the tape and turned to the small investigating team, telling them that he believed there was a 2nd Kira. He heard his father sigh with relief, "Is he cleared, Ryuzaki?"

"3 percent," L responded absently. He explained that Light had deduced the same as he did and Light would help find more information on the new Kira. L assigned him to play role of the original Kira to respond to the tapes.

A few days passed before the team watched as the 2nd Kira eagerly responded. Light's eyes widened in a panic as they freely mentioned the shinigami eyes and notebook. _What are they doing? _He attempted to keep a calm façade as his thoughts raced by hysterically and angrily. He would have to find a way to illuminate the 2nd Kira before they exposed them both. L turned from where he was perched in front of them and began to assign work to each of them. The team was given bits of descriptive information as to where the 2nd Kira would possibly be, waiting to meet the original Kira. All of the investigators were assigned to wait at each location to see if either of the Kiras would expose themselves. With the heavy investigation, Kagome fell from L and Light's thoughts, and further into B's grasp.

* * *

Beyond flipped open his phone, pacing impatiently around his apartment. "K," he purred when she picked up.

"L," she sighed, "good to hear from you. How are you?" She babbled.

"I was thinking we could see each other again, if you aren't busy," he grinned when she eagerly agreed. He asked her to meet him at a popular shopping plaza in the depths of Tokyo in an hour. He hung up the phone and sprawled his slight, lengthy body across the crisp white couch in his room. The apartment was spacious and lushly decorated. The walls of his room were a pale grey, with sapphire blue curtains draped elegantly over the bay windows. He got up and leaned against its frame, taking in the extraordinary sight. The city was alive and thriving. He sighed and padded to the connecting bathroom to get ready for his next venture with Ms. Kagome.

He emerged as L twenty minutes later and tossed on the simple clothing before slipping out the door. As he walked the busy streets of the city, he thought about the new Kira appearance. He suspected that Light would be annoyed by the new Kira and seek to destroy them. He giggled lightly to himself. _Light has his hands full. As do I, _he thought wickedly as he spotted Kagome leaning against the outside of a building. People moved all around her. He silently watched before approaching, stalking his delicious prey. Her eyes danced vacantly around the crowd, light circles under their chocolate depths. She obviously didn't get much sleep since he saw her last. Her straight, raven black hair fell all around her face. Her eyes smoldered when she saw him near her. He was surprised when she suddenly embraced him. "It's good to see you," she mumbled into his shoulder. He awkwardly returned the hug, not used to being this close to anyone. His arms stiffly fell around her, his dark eyes full of surprise. She pulled away and smiled brightly at him. "So what are we doing today?" she questioned.

He regained his cool composure, slumping his bony shoulders and scratching his head. "I figured we could just walk around and window shop or something," he said, sounding unsure and awkward.

She simply grinned and gripped his hand, pulling him off down the busy sidewalk. A moment passed by in silence as they fell in step with each other. B kept both of his hands in the pockets of his jeans as he stole a glance to his right. Kagome bounced along happily, a smile constantly tugging at her lips. "So, how is school?" she asked casually.

"It's going well. Have you seen Light-kun? He hasn't been at class much recently." B asked curiously. He had been unable to locate Light recently and it was bugging him. L must have him slaving over the Kira investigation. _However, I haven't killed anyone recently, _he thought. _They must have gotten a big lead or something._

She paled at his question, her eyes distant. "No," she said quietly, "I haven't seen him since the day I saw you last."

_I will be giving Kira a call,_ he thought unhappily. Her face fell as she continued to maul over whatever had happened that night. She steered the conversation away from Light and began to ramble on about a shop she wanted to check out. As he walked, listening to her soft voice, he looked at the crowd about him. Faces, names, and life spans flooded his cursed eyes. His eyes stopped on a hunched monster in the throng of people, unseen by the world, except to Beyond. _Shinigami. _It walked, stooped over, its gray bony form shadowing a bubbly blonde-haired woman. Gray, short strands of the demons hair fell into its face. Purple lips and yellow eyes contrasted its ashen face. He turned his attention to the bouncing form beside it. She had vivid blonde hair, half of it pulled into twin tails. Her lips, stained crimson red, held a constant smile. She wore a lacey, black corseted dress that fell above her knees; accompanied by lace stockings and gloves. She has a black choker at the base of her neck and chains on her dress that swung as she danced along. He glanced above her head and gaped. _She has no time either. Misa Amane…_so this was the 2nd Kira. It had to be. He was unable to see her time remaining, like Light. He smirked as he continued to walk by a distracted Kagome.

"Oh no," he heard a faint whisper fall from her lips. He glanced over at her slight frame. He noticed her eyes were on something to his left and followed her gaze. _Can she see the shinigami? _Her eyes were wide and frightened. A shiver shook through her and he watched as she attempted to compose herself, but she had already allowed him to see too much.

"What is it Kagome?" he asked innocently, false concern thick in his quiet voice.

"Nothing," she forced a smile and continued down the sidewalk. Beyond trailed a bit behind her, a malicious grin danced on his small, pale lips. _She lacks the eyes, but can see the shinigami. Kagome, I might decide to keep you after all. _He caught up with her, grinning down at her as they continued walking together. _She will be mine._

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**A/N:** Extra long chapter because you guys had to wait so long! Thanks for reading! Review for me!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N**: Enjoy the chapter! School is keeping me (and my editors) busy, so I'll try to update soon. I'm also in the middle of revising the first few chapters. R&R! Thank you so much to everyone who alerted the story! Make me so happy! :)

And as always, thank you Paige and Kychelle for being wonderful editors and friends.

Also, I want to thank everyone who has reviewed: Stinyx, Izno, The-Dark-Love-Writer, SuicidalxDolly, Cosmic-lover, Otose, Bloodcherry, Yui, Midnight98, Sugar0o, 2lazy, Abandoned-Angel-of-Fire, Missmoo11, lovingo0KawaiiGirl, LOL-LIKElikeurOUTofLOLLIPOPS, Bloodcherry, XXThe wish GranterXX, Sophie, Sousie, , Anne, Kobato-hime, Sakura31, StarlitBaby, Kychelledebeast, and wolfkagome.

AmericaBlessGod: Your review was so amazing. Thank you so much!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _Death Note_ or _Inuyasha_.

**A Strawberry for Your Secret**

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Chapter Five

She sat underneath the Sacred Tree with her head in her hands, black hair spilling over her shoulders and swaying around her slumped form. All she could think of while she leaned against the soft wood of the old tree was the past. Her heart squeezed as she thought of Inuyasha and the gang. Their sweet faces danced behind her eyelids while she drew the cool, fall air into her lungs. She rarely allowed herself any time to grieve over her losses and she couldn't afford to break down now. Her throat clenched as moisture built behind her soft, closed eyes. She dug her nails into the soft soil and she willed herself to calm down. Her thoughts shifted to images of the new shinigami she saw downtown. The memory of its tall, hunched form amidst the endless sea of people had Kagome's stomach in knots. She yearned for the comfort of her friends 500 years in the past. The lack of their unconditional love and support had Kagome crawling around in the dark, unsure of who to turn to and what to do. While her mother was generally open and extremely supportive, Kagome knew that her mom would be at a loss if she told her that shinigami were following people and Light was Kira. She gave a dark chuckle at her train of thought; _Light is Kira. _ She ran her hands down her legs that stretched out in front of her and brought them tightly to her chest. She buried her face in the fabric of her jeans and allowed a few tears to escape. She sniffed stubbornly, quickly wiping away any remnant of tears on her face and stumbled to her feet, unwilling to sit here and be weak. Kagome refused to do absolutely nothing. She would find a way to stop Light. She would find a way to _save _him. While she was at a disadvantage without her friends behind her, Kagome was obstinately determined to forge a way through the darkness. She despised feeling inferior. This hatred fueled her drive to press on, even when hope has faded and the chances of winning are slim to none.

She scuffled off, away from the tree and toward her home. She paused as she passed the building that housed the well. She rested her hands on the door, feeling the aged, splintered wood beneath her fingertips. Her forehead came to rest between her hands as she fought the urge to throw open the doors and jump. She winced, remembering a nasty sprain she received the last time she gave into her impulse to hop over the lip of the well. With a sigh, she pushed off the door and padded to the house. She nodded absently at her mom, who was bustling around the kitchen, her pleasant humming wafting into the hallway and upstairs. With the click of her door shutting behind her, she plopped herself in front of her laptop. She figured if she were to come up with a plan of attack that she would need to do some research. She opened the internet browser and typed 'Shinigami'. Her finger smacked the enter key and she began to sift through the mass of information on her screen.

As the sun began to set, her mother knocked on her door, causing Kagome to jump. Her heart raced as she looked up into her mother's warm, loving face. "God! You scared me," Kagome said in a rush.

Her mother giggled softly, a quiet smile playing at her lips, "I'm sorry, dear. I've been calling you for supper. Are you hungry?" Her mother's eyes searched Kagome's knowingly. _She can always tell when something is wrong,_ Kagome sighed as she nodded.

She closed her laptop, going over important little bits of information that she read while she made her way down stairs. She wondered how any of it could be credible, but then again, she saw huge demons following people around. With a shrug, she pushed it all to the back of her mind and attempted to enjoy a nice dinner with her family.

A while after dinner, she found herself sitting on her bed, legs tucked underneath her, lost in thought. She had been contemplating whether to see Light or not. She wondered if she had the ability to squeeze anything out of him without being too obvious. _I've got nothing left to lose. _She shrugged on a long-sleeved, black jumper and bounded down the stairs. She told her mom she'd be at Light's house while she stepped into a pair of old sneakers and hopped outside. She hugged herself against the chill that rode the wind. Her hair flew around her as she hurried down the steps and onto the sidewalk. The cold was beginning to bite her face as she made her way forward. The rustling of leaves being dragged about was the only sound that filled the dark, empty streets. She rapped twice on the front door of Light's home. She glanced over her shoulder as she waited for someone to answer to door, arms crossed and hands clutching the fabric of her shirt. _I should have worn a coat. _

The door opened to reveal Light's mother grinning at her. "Hello!" Kagome greeted, pulling her into a quick hug. As she stepped into the warm, welcoming home, she noticed Sayu standing by the kitchen table. Sayu had grown since Kagome saw her last. She had gotten much taller and her raven black hair fell past her shoulders now. Her face lost all its childhood naivety, revealing a beautiful girl with a constant smile tugging at her round lips. Kagome grinned as she approached Sayu, embracing her and asking, "Is Light around?"

"He's upstairs," Sayu giggled, "with a friend of his."

Kagome nodded and headed up the staircase. _Light has friends? Maybe L is here, _she thought excitedly. Light's door was cracked and she could hear mumbled talking, _a girl? _She opened the door without knocking and stopped short. Light was kneeling on the ground, embracing a blond who returned his affection eagerly. Kagome was not upset by the display of affection that took place, but rather the extra shinigami that was in the room. Light's face was turned away from her, giving her an opportunity to look at Ryuk who hovered next to Light. Her eyes found the shinigami she saw in Tokyo the day before. The demon looked at her, surprise twisting its already horribly distorted features. Kagome grit her teeth as she realized what was going on. _The Kiras are teaming up,_ she thought, as her breath hitched and she took a step back from the doorframe. Light's eyes flicked to her face, holding shock and embarrassment. Kagome panicked and rushed back down the stairs.

"Leaving so soon, Kagome-chan?" Sayu pouted once she reached the bottom of the stairs. Her eyes pleading with Kagome's to stay.

"Yeah, I just needed a little help on an assignment but I forgot it at home," she said lamely with a shrug, "It's getting late so I'll just come back some other time!" She took her leave and started back towards her home. _Goddammit, Light! _She huffed angrily as she pulled out her phone. _How could you? _Her heart raced, the beat pulsed loudly in her ears. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. She flipped open the phone, finding L's number and hitting send. She needed to get away from here.

She didn't even bother going by her house. She knew that if she saw her mom she would simply burst into tears and confess everything to her. _I can't get her involved, _she reasoned as the phone rang.

"Yo."

"L," she said breathlessly, "I need to see you." She couldn't hide the shiver in her voice. "I know it's late but I really need-"

She was cut off, "You want to come to my apartment? I can send a cab to get you."

"Thank you."

She flipped her phone closed and toyed with the small strawberry charm that dangled from it. It was carved from the Sacred Tree, and was no bigger than the nail of her thumb. Her grandfather gave it to her for her 18th birthday telling her that it was a little piece of home. She ran her finger over the soft wood and felt the dimples of the berry. She could feel the tree, even though the piece was small, the magic of the Scared Tree still tingled her senses as she toyed with it. An image of Inuyasha, forever young and sleeping, pinned against the tree, passed through her mind. She sat on the bottom of the shrine steps and closed her eyes. The night was quiet; sounds of distant cars and the bustling city drifted slowly through the air. The bracing wind nipped through her thin sweater and dragged around the fallen leaves, making them rustle and crunch along the sidewalk. She bit on her bottom lip as a shiver shook her body. The sound of an approaching car forced her eyes to snap open, whipping her head towards its bright, yellow headlights. She squinted; the small illuminated light on the roof of the car had her sighing in relief. It stopped with a squeak in front of her and a small, older man with a tired face rolled down the window, "Miss Kagome?"

"That's me," she said dimly as she pulled the back door open and slid into the warmth of the vehicle. As the car slid from the curb, Kagome rested her head against the back of the seat and allowed her mind to wander while the cab took her to L. _L…_

She was surprised when the car pulled in front of a large, luxurious building downtown. _Does he really live in the heart of the city? _She thought absently, twirling a piece of her hair as she made her way into the building. She wandered toward the reception desk where a bored, young woman sat staring at her computer absently. Kagome cleared her throat and the woman's head snapped towards her, "Oh! How can I help you, sweetie?" she smiled at Kagome.

"Um, yeah," Kagome mumbled, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, "Which apartment is um…Ryuzaki staying in?" She recalled Light yelling that name to L when she had first seen him on campus. Kagome figured that if she asked what apartment _L _was in, the woman would just gawk at her. She watched as the woman looked down at the paper in front of her.

"Ah, he called down earlier. Are you Kagome?" Kagome nodded. "It's on the top floor, 1204. Just take the elevator around the corner and slide this key into the lock next to the 20. It will take you straight up, and the door will be on the left." She handed Kagome a small key and a smile.

"Thanks," she chirped as she bounced toward the elevator. The doors slid shut and Kagome leaned against the wall of the elevator with a sigh. As the silver doors slid open, she stepped out and toward the door down the hall. Her steps echoed in the silent hall and she fidgeted nervously with one of her sleeves. She tapped on the door and watched it slide open. He stood there, hair wet and his white shirt sticking to his slight frame. The aroma of his cologne wafted around her in the doorway.

He looked at her, his expression blank, "Come in, Kag…" His words were cut off by the force of Kagome jumping into him. Her thin, pale arms circled his neck, and she pressed herself to him. Her body shook slightly as he swung the door shut and returned her surprising embrace. "Are you okay?" His languid, yawning voice rumbled through his chest and she felt it tickle her own. She lost all control over her pent up anxiety and emotions with his question. Her body began to shake harder as the tears rolled down her pale cheeks.

"Oh L," she whispered, her voice haunted and raspy. She buried her head in the crook of his neck as the wave of hurt shattered her spirit and tore through her like a freight train. She heard him gasp and felt him go rigid beneath her. She started to pull away, realizing her sudden proximity to him, but his arms relaxed around her. Her auburn eyes, wet with tears, sprang open with a gasp when she was suddenly hoisted into his delicate arms. He sat down on the couch with a soft sigh, shifting Kagome so that she was curled on his lap, her head tucked under his chin. She silently wept, whispering strings of words that Beyond could not make out. Her body trembled against him, causing his unsure, stiff arms to tighten around her small frame. Her warm breath fanned across his neck while she continued to mumble senselessly. As he ran a hand through her hair, feeling the silky locks glide through his fingers, he began felt her body relax. Her breathing began to slow after a while, her soft sniffles filling the room. Her breath started evening out as she drifted to sleep. Her warm hands still clutched the fabric of his shirt. The city was alive and the lights filled the dim room; its brilliant flashing lights danced across her soft features. Shades of brilliant red, gold, and blue lit up her sodden, weary face. Her cheeks were flushed; tears still clung to her lashes. He continued to weave her hair through his hands as he looked down at the tiny, fragile girl in his arms. The silence of the dark room was broken as he quietly shifted Kagome in his arms and moved her to his bedroom. She murmured incoherently as he placed her on the soft blue sheets. She curled herself into a ball, hugging a pillow to her and nuzzling the silk fabric to her face. Beyond grabbed the comforter and gently covered her. He padded back to the living room, sparing one last glance at the girl in his bed.

He plucked his phone off the counter, twirling it around in his hands as he calculated his next move. Kagome was easy prey. _Too easy, _he thought with a bored sigh. The light from his phone illuminated his pale face as he dialed Kira's number.

"Yes," Light asked in a low whisper.

"Kira!" BB said happily. His tone thick with amusement, hoping that it might grate on Light's nerves; Kira was much more fun when he was pissed off. "I don't even get a hello?"

"What do you want?" Light said louder, a harsh edge to his tone.

"You haven't been with Kagome much, have you?" Beyond slid a knife from a drawer and began to twirl it around his fingers. The thought of the blade piercing Kagome's supple, pale flesh ran through his mind. "Do you wish for me to hurt her, Light?" He flicked his eyes toward his bedroom door with his last question. He leaned against a counter, laying down the knife.

"The investigation has gotten a lot more tedious. I haven't had any spare time to baby sit your new fascination." Light said stiffly. BB could almost hear him biting his tongue. "I actually did see her tonight…"

Beyond cut him off, "What did you do to her, Light?" When BB got no response from Light, who remained silent with confusion, Beyond confessed playfully, "Kagome's with me."

"What?" Light said his voice suddenly raised and angry.

"She came over to my apartment. She was an absolute mess, crying nonstop and saying things about you and some Inuyasha. What did you do, Kira?" BB paced around the kitchen while he spoke, not giving Light a chance to answer his question. "Regardless, good luck getting her back. She's in _my_ bed right now. The pawn we all seek is in _my_ hands. I won't stop until I have L."

"He asked about her tonight," Light said hesitantly. "I told him that she was visiting family out of town…"

"Well, well. L is finally remembering his promise to our little Kagome. I'll bait him out with her, and eliminate him. Prevent L from contacting Kagome." He snapped the phone shut and grabbed a jar of jam out of the refrigerator.

As he suckled the sticky, sweet jam from his fingers, BB thought about his next victims. He had planned on at least 2 more murders tonight. L had the members of the police force under heavy protection now, but they served no threat to Beyond. He was an anonymous shadow that remained unknown to the perilous, waking world. He cracked the door and saw Kagome's still, dark form on the bed. He donned a pair of sneakers and silently slipped out the front door.

An hour later, Beyond was walking down the sidewalk in Tokyo. Hands shoved deep in the pockets of his jeans. The cold nipped at his face, tossing his black messy hair around. He shivered underneath the thin, long sleeved shirt. His eyes remained at his feet as he made his way back to the apartment. The murders had gone as planned. BB executed two more flawless crimes. His hands were clean and his thoughts were clear. It was early, the last of the party animals stumbling to cabs and down the street past him. Their loud, obnoxious laughter filled the streets. He pushed open the door to the apartment building, dipping his head at the receptionist and making his way back home. He ran a hand over his tired eyes as he exited the elevator, thinking, _I need to sleep. _He dropped his keys, slipped off his shoes and made his way into his room. Kagome was curled up in the middle of his large bed. The sheets tangled around her small form. The room was filled with her low, quiet breaths and BB moved to her. He slipped off her shoes and put the comforter back over her. He stood there, unsure of what to do about the sleeping girl. He padded over to the couch and sat down, sitting normal for once. His body was tired; it had been a few days since he slept. He nodded off as he watched Kagome toss and turn, lost in a nightmare.

He jumped awake, two hours later. A cool, soft light bathed his room; the sun was beginning to rise. A soft gasp had him upright and awake in a matter of seconds. He looked over to see Kagome sitting on the bed, hugging the comforter to her chest. Her face was riddled with confusion as she tried to remember the events that transpired the night before. Her wild hair went in every direction, and her clothes were disheveled with sleep. She wiped the sleep from her eyes, "What happened?" Her voice was a quiet, tired chirp in the silent apartment.

Beyond moved to perch himself on the couch, blinking. He slept with the contacts in, unable to shed any part of his disguise before falling asleep. His eyes burned, begging for hydration, against the lids of his eyes. "You fell asleep on the couch," he mumbled, moving towards the attached bathroom. He donned the contact solution, "Are you feeling alright?" He asked, wiping away the remnant of the solution from his face and appearing in the doorframe of the bathroom. His voice was concerned and low, neither of them wanting to break to calm, stillness of the early morning. "You were awfully upset last night," he sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down at his feet.

She sifted nervously, "Yeah, I'm fine! I'm really sorry about that," Kagome suddenly began to untangle herself from the sheet and stumbled out of the bed. He caught her arm as she past in front of him.

"Don't be embarrassed," he said, looking into her face, "it's okay. I just want to know what's going on." Kagome's body relaxed, her tired eyes melting into a slow smile. He just looked up at her; his hand still clutched her forearm.

She nodded and moved to sit next to him, "I'm alright. Just boy problems," she laughed nervously. Beyond just looked at her, trying to pry the information from her with his gaze, "I saw Light with someone. Someone he should _not_ be with and I don't know what to do." She sighed, "You ever find out something that you wish you didn't know? Do you ever get information that suddenly makes you feel like it's your responsibility to help or fix the situation?" BB nodded slowly, latching on to her every word. "That's why I was so upset," she said with a sleepy shrug and a yawn.

He stood, "Let me make you some breakfast," he made his way to the door and heard her soft, timid footsteps behind him. "I'm assuming that you don't wish to share your burden? You don't have to do it alone, Kagome."

"Yes, I do." She said quickly, "I don't want you to get involved. It's a big mess. I'm just glad you are here," her smile brightened up her face. He turned, patting one of the barstools with his hands for her to sit.

"How do you like your eggs?"

* * *

A few days passed before he decided to check up on Light. Beyond was tired of lying around his apartment. While Kagome had called him a couple of times, he hadn't seen her either. He disguised himself as one of his latest victims, with a shaggy brown mop of hair. His skin was light, and his face was tired and lined with worry. He walked, spine straight and proper, with a briefcase and a long black business coat over his suit. He cleaned up rather nicely. His deep red eyes peered through the mess of hair as he made his way onto T-Oh's lively campus. He checked his watch as he sat on a small bench in the middle of the campus green. Light usually got out of class around 1pm, but he knew that L was working him to the bone with the investigation. BB was shocked to see both Light and L emerge from the busy lecture hall and move through a covered archway towards the parking lot. Beyond hadn't seen both of them in public since he found Kagome. _Shit! Kagome…_he thought anxiously. If she were on campus, his cover would be blown. He plucked his phone from his briefcase, flipping it open to dial Kagome. When Beyond looked up from his phone, he noticed that L and Light seemed to have drawn quite a crowd around them. Beyond squinted seeing the large, hulking figure amidst the crowd of college student. He spotted the shinigami that he has seen with Kagome in the shopping district over a week ago. A shiver slowly slid down his spine, like thick molasses, when he realized what Light was doing.

The vivacious blond clung to Light's arm. Her face was charming, a smile permanently glued to her cherry red lips. He noted L's eager acceptance of Light's new woman, shaking her hand. L's mask rested on top of his messy, black hair, revealing his face to the new Kira. L was an idiot. She gazed at his name and life span for a few moments before making eye contact with L once more. She giggled and proceeded to talk endlessly to those around her. Her high-pitched voice was jarring and grating on BB's nerves. He angrily shifted his eyes to the phone in his hand. He walked closer to the crowd of people and leaned against one of the posts that lined the arched walkway. The stones felt cool on his back and his eyes shifted back onto the animated swarm. He brought the phone up to his ear as it rang. "L!" Kagome's voice sang through the receiver.

"Hey, you," he grinned into the phone, "I was wondering what you were up to." He continued to watch as the group dispersed and the blond turned, passing right in front of him; _Misa Amane, _he caught her name as she skipped by. The grey monster on her heels as they made their way off campus. B's eyes remained on the shinigami as they passed. Its twisted, distorted form matching Light's shinigami. It was extremely tall, towering over the girl and Beyond himself; its shoulders were hunched on a severe angle. The only color on the demon was the purple lines on its face, and lips. Golden eyes pierced through the mop of lavender hair as they walked by.

"I'm studying for midterms," Kagome said, sounding bored, "Why? What's up?"

He said nothing, only stared in amusement as Misa was surrounded by a small group of men in black suits. She made no noise as a hand was clasped over her small mouth, her eyes widened as someone spoke into her ear. There was no struggle, either. She was cuffed by Watari and tossed into a black sedan. Her shinigami's eyes were just as wide, staring as the girl was taken away. The demon followed and B's eyes shifted to L and Light at the opposite end of the courtyard. Their faces were all but serious as they faced each other and spoke. L gave Light a phone and turned, leaving Light standing alone with annoyance written all over his face.

"L? Hello?" Kagome's voice pierced his thoughts, "What's going on?"

"Sorry, Kagome-chan. It's nothing. I'm just a bit distracted today. Do you want to get dinner with me tonight?" Beyond said listlessly, still watching Light, and not paying attention to the conversation.

"Uh," she said, sounding unsure, "Okay…what time?"

"7:30, shrine steps. See you then." He closed the phone, only to flip it open again and dial Light's number. _This will be fun, _he thought with a wicked grin on his thin, pale lips.

He saw Light become uneasy as he stared at his phone while it rang. With a sigh, he finally brought it up to his ear, "Light Yagami," he said sounding formal and taut.

"Light-kun! You didn't tell me you had a girl friend!" Beyond moved from his spot against the post to the bench he sat at when he first saw Kagome.

"What are you talking about?" Light pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation, unsure of where Beyond was taking this conversation.

"The charming blond, twin tails, kind of a gothic style?" BB's red eyes glimmered with amusement as Light began to tense. Light began walk across the courtyard, and Beyond continued, "Seems like L got a hold of her first though."

Light stopped midstride at his words, "You're watching me aren't you?"

"Maybe," BB said with a shrug. Light was standing to his left, out of hearing range and Beyond made a good show of making himself inconspicuous. Light would be looking for the man he met in front of his house, not the man sitting a few yards away. Beyond was a master at disappearing in a crowd and being unseen. He got up, turning away, and began to walk towards the shrine. "So she is the new Kira. Funny you guys decided to pair up and go public. Silly, Kira." Beyond said condescendingly, getting a frustrated growl from Light. "We need to destroy him, Light." _And you. _"You are no match for L. He is relentless and won't rest until he pins you down as Kira. Be careful or you will lose. Ask your shinigami for help, you need it."

Light tried to hide his surprise, ignoring Beyond's last statement, "I'll most likely be detained as well. Don't contact me, again." He heard the click of Light hanging up and stared at his phone. _That bastard. _He figured that if Light was allowing all this to happen that he at least had some sort of plan. He needed to act fast if he wanted to use Kagome.

BB wanted to use Kagome as his pawn in L's death as well as Kira. She held a spot in Light's diminishing heart and B knew that if he acted fast enough, he would ensure the ability to break and destroy Kira and L in one fail swoop. _If I'm not careful, I'll lose her too. _BB, however twisted and warped his mind had become, was still human. Not only did he want to ensure that he would not lose his most important pawn, but that she would remain by his side when it is all over. Her ignorance would remain his bliss. She was a pure, white light in his void of darkness. If she could see the shinigami, she would have some sort of understanding of him. He saw death. She saw the monsters. There was no one else. He didn't mind the thought of pretending to be L, either. He had lost his true self along the way. While at Wammy's, Beyond had completely tossed his-self aside to transform into L. It came naturally to him. He would be the new L. He would have _his _girl, his life, friends, and contacts. BB would finally be able to become what he was trained to be, a cold hard detective, and with the LABB case and his new excursions, a cold hard killer.

* * *

Kagome stared at her form in the mirror that hung on her door. She wore a ruffled, white tank top with splatters of black and gray throughout the shirt. She slipped on a pair of form fitting skinny jeans and a blazer over the tank. L hadn't really specified where they were going to eat so she decided to meet somewhere in between casual and dressy. Her hair hung naturally, straight and sleek, on her shoulders. She glossed her lips and put on a little mascara. She played with her hair in the mirror as she decided what to do with it. She soon gave up with a frustrated huff and just let it fall wherever it pleased. Grabbing a purse and slipping on a pair of black flats, Kagome said goodbye and bounded out of the house. She checked her phone, and continued to make her way across the shrine. Her eyes lingered on the well house and turned then to the bare, yet comforting, Sacred Tree. She absently played with the charm once again, feeling at ease. Lately, a shadow of doubt pressed on her mind. In the depths of her subconscious, a warning lay in waiting, creeping up on her at random moments throughout the day. The only way she seemed to get rid of the uneasy feeling was to play with the bark of the Sacred Tree. She couldn't shake this odd aura that seemed to surround her lately. The figure of L waiting at the bottom of the stairs sent a shiver through her body. The feeling in her stomach intensified. She stopped short to shake her head of her dark thoughts. _It's not L giving me this feeling. _She reasoned with herself as she took the steps one by one.

A black car was waiting on the curb, L leaning against it as he waited for her. She was shocked that he wasn't wearing his usual attire. Instead, he sported a black sweater and gray slacks. Still a simple, plain look but she could only gape at him. She can count on one hand how many times she saw L in a different outfit _and_ wearing shoes. "Is something wrong," he asked, causing her to meet his gaze. He stood there, slumped over and a hand in his pocket as he gazed at her with wide, dark eyes.

She shook her head and smiled, "You clean up nicely."

He simply shrugged and scratched at his untamed mane of hair. He opened the passenger door with his other hand and tossed her a sheepish smile, "Shall we?"

_Is this a date? _Kagome thought to herself while she played with her food. _He's even sitting normally…kind of. _He still sat hunched over his plate of cake, but he wasn't perched on his seat like usual. "Are you okay?" she asked curiously, eyeing him as he looked toward her.

He gave her an innocent look, "What do you mean, Kagome?"

"You are dressed up, not sitting how you usually do, and you don't even call me K anymore," she thought idly, eyes back on the mush of food on her plate. "I just feel like there is something wrong." She _knew_ that something was off. She could barely eat the food in front of her. Her stomach continued to churn uneasily. _Something seems to be wrong with me as well, _she thought. "Never mind, I think it's just me. Forget it."

He continued to look at her with the innocently confused face, "Kagome…"

"No," she cut him off with her stern, yet quiet voice, "it's okay." She tossed him a sad smile and attempted to change the subject.

He grabbed her hand that was anxiously drumming on the table, "I did it for you. I thought this would be better…" He trailed off as he looked at her. Her face was twisted into a painful frown.

Kagome's brow pinched together as her stomach jolted. She placed a hand on her abdomen, trying to keep her composure. She had no idea why she felt so sick. She couldn't deduce if it was the fact that he was touching her or that the shadow was creeping back over her, smashing into her like dark, thrashing waves. "You look like you're sick Kagome," his voice sounding worried as he released her small hand back onto the table.

"I'm alright," she huffed, "Is it hot in here?" She said breathlessly, placing a hand on her forehead. Her brown, anxious eyes found his. He placed money on the table and helped her up. She leaned on him as they walked to the car, her mind a million years away, flipping through possible reasons for her sudden malady. _I had salmon for lunch, _she thought. _So… maybe it's food poisoning. Yet I haven't gotten sick…_she silently battled with herself as he opened that door and put her into the car. He pulled on to the busy city streets, "Where are we going?" She lobbed her head to the left to look at him. His perfectly angular face staring ahead, his dark eyes shifted towards her for a second and flicked to the road once more.

"My place," he said nonchalantly. "Is that okay?"

She reached out and grabbed one of his hands, partially to reassure him that she was fine, and to test herself. The feeling returned, but not with such intensity as earlier, so she brushed it off. "I don't mind, but I think I'm getting sick. I don't want you to catch it," she closed her eyes and released his hand.

"I'll be fine," he mumbled. The rest of the short ride was filled with a comfortable silence as they both withdrew to their thoughts. By the time they reached his apartment, Kagome was feeling better, but tired. "I'll put on some tea," he said as she shrugged off her jacket and plopped onto the huge, cream white couch in the living room. She could hear sounds of him making tea in the kitchen behind her. The apartment was spacious; an open floor plan with huge bay windows that over looked the city. Kagome went to the door that led to the balcony and stepped outside. The wind was stronger up this high. Her hair whipped around her and she crossed her arms to fight the cold. She leaned against the railing that came up past her waist as watched the city lights pulse below her. Sounds of horns and cars filtered through the air. She jumped when she felt a blanket on her shoulders, she looked back to see L disappear back into the apartment. She smiled gratefully moving to go back inside.

He handed her a mug of warm tea, "Thank you," she said as she took the cup and plopped on a barstool.

L stared off, deep in thought as she sipped to warm tea. "You said you saw Light with a girl, right?" Kagome gaped at him and nodded slowly. "What did she look like?"

She rambled off what she could remember of the blond hugging Light. She had paid more attention to the new shinigami than Light's new love interest. "Why?"

"What about that moment made you so upset?" His eyes locked with hers, imploring her for answers.

"She's bad news," Kagome stared at her cup, fidgeting under the pressure to confess. _I can't. _She hopped off the seat and made her way to the sink, placing the empty cup in the dishwasher after she rinsed it off in silence. L was facing her, a dangerous smirk on his lips.

"Why is she dangerous, _K_?" he purred, a terrifying glint in his murky eyes.

"I can't really explain it, she ju…" Kagome was cut short. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her against the counter, hard. She cringed in pain as the marble top connected with her lower back. "AH!" Her groan echoed in the apartment.

L placed his forehead on her shoulder, his breathing ragged and uneven. Kagome's hands pushed on his chest, "Just say it." He whispered his voice restrained and angry. He pulled away, loosening his grip on her arms and allowed his face to soften. He put one hand on the side of her face, "I saw her too, Kagome, and I already know why she's dangerous. I just want to hear you say it."

She froze underneath him, dropping her gaze to the floor and pushing out of his grasp. _Does he know Light is Kira? _She turned to face him again, staring in bewilderment as he pulled a knife from a kitchen drawer. She stood, motionless in the kitchen of his extravagant apartment, hands shaking. His ebony hair fell in front of his eyes, only revealing a frightening smirk that played on his face. A chill shot down her spine. _The bad feelings I have been getting were right, _she thought as her heart began to race. Breathing hitched and body quivering, she asked him "L?" her voice shaking.

A raspy, horrible laugh echoed off the pale gray walls of the kitchen. Kagome continue to back away from him. Her feet slowly scooted across the pale, wood floors, trying to carry her away from his slouched form. Her lower back bumped into a counter top, she hissed in pain. A bruise was forming from the shaking, cackling figure across the room. _It was an accident though, _she pitifully argued with herself. Her momentary distraction caused her eyes to shift from him to the floor as she ran a hand over the tender flesh of her back. Her eyes slid shut as she waited for the pain to dull, opening them to see a pair of bare feet inches from her own. She jumped, a small squeal escaping her lips. Her face was pale and sickly, beads of sweat shining on her forehead as she stared into the black eyes. She saw a glimmer of scarlet red as the light caught his tired eyes. His evil grin disappeared as he placed his cheek next to hers. His cold skin brushed hers lightly, goose bumps rushed over her delicate body. Her eyes slid closed, swallowing, trying to calm down. "That's not my name, little Kagome," his voice purred, low and sweet.

Her eyes flicked open and to the knife, never leaving the weapon as she turned out of his touch and darted across the kitchen. Tears stung her chocolate eyes as the fear hit the pit of her stomach. "What the hell are you doing," her voice was strong, shaking with anger. She was ready to run, but he was in the way of the exit. Her stance was alert, knees slightly bent as she readied herself to bolt for the door. "Who are you!" her voice continuing to rise.

Before she could begin to move for the door, he was standing in front of her. The knife still in his right hand, his eyes locked with hers. He ran a hand slowly up her right arm, grinning as she shivered, "I'm L's worst nightmare. Where is he, _K_?" he whispered, his forehead against hers. She began to panic, unsure of what was happening. He moved back, inches from her face, and brought the knife to her cheek, lightly trailing the tip across the soft flesh. The blade sliced through her ashen flesh, forcing a loud shriek to escape her lips. Her cry was more out of fear than pain, but too loud for his tastes. Placing a hand over her mouth, he shoved her into the wall behind her. Her head hit with a thud, eyes rolling back. He held her up while he placed the knife on the counter and swept her up, bridal style, to his room. He laid her on the bed and closed the sapphire blue curtains over the large bay windows, blocking the amazing view of Tokyo. He placed himself in the corner, on the plush white sofa, flipping his phone open to call Kira. The line went straight to voicemail. _What the fuck?_ He sat there, debating how his message to L would go and plucked his laptop from the nightstand. She wouldn't be out very long and he knew that she would fight him when she woke up. Kagome wasn't the type to give in very easily. He moved to the bathroom, searching through his closet for ties to bind her. His phone vibrated in his pocket, _Light. _"Hello," he said in L's tone, drawing out his syllables. There was an extended pause before he heard the other line click and disconnect. While he had ensured his phone was untraceable, he knew that he would be found if he remained in one place for too long. Only someone like Matt would be called to attempt to trace a call to the cell phone and L wouldn't reach out to the trio unless it was entirely necessary. L was tracing all of Lights connections and BB was just caught.

She kept her breathing steady as she regained consciousness. Her head was throbbing as she recalled the events that took place before darkness swallowed her whole. The panic returned as she realized she was still in the apartment. _ I don't even know whose apartment it is…_ She was positive that he wasn't lying when he said he wasn't L. While she knew something had been a little off with him, she shrugged it off believing it to be how he grew up. _People change, _she would say to herself. _How did I let this happen? _She was trying so desperately to get the old L back in her life, that she allowed a complete stranger to wedge himself into her life instead. _ I need to get out of here._

She listened for footsteps, or any sign of her attacker and heard light murmuring to her left, muffled. She slid an eye open to see where it was coming from. He was in the master bath, and she could make out his shadow under the door, pacing back and forth. _I might get lucky here…_

She opened both eyes and found the door. She made no noise as she slid off the enormous bed. Stepping lightly and quickly across the fluffy carpet, she made it to the door. Her breathing was quiet and low. She grabbed for the doorknob. As her hand touched the cool, silver metal handle, the bathroom door flew open with a loud bang. Kagome let her instincts take over. She yanked open the door and ran for the foyer. He was quick on her heels but all those days in Feudal Japan taught her how to successful evade an attacker. She dodged furniture, knocking things over as she passed to slow him down. She saw the door come into view as she entered the living room. _If I open the door, he'll be able to grab me. _She stopped dead in her tracks, her nervous energy being focus into the palm of her right hand. It burst into a dull pink light. Kagome quickly turned and threw a punch like she never thought possible at her assailant. Surprised by her sudden stop, he didn't expect to feel a hard fist connect with his abdomen. He doubled over, losing his breath and gasping as he tried to rebalance himself. He took a step forward and watched her slip out of the apartment. _Dammit._

Kagome ran blindly for blocks. Adrenaline pumping thick in her veins as she bolted down the streets of Tokyo. _Maybe Light's at the police headquarters. _She hoped that she could find someone to help her. Tears began to stain her frozen, pink cheeks. She continued running until she burst into the large glass building that housed Japan's Police Force. "I need Light Yagami or his father, immediately." She said this as she made it to the reception desk. The man stared at her, surprised by Kagome's sudden appearance. He glanced at his coworker sitting next to him, unsure what to do.

"Ma'am, they are both working on a very important case. I can take a message…"his voice trailed off as Kagome's teary eyes glared holes into him. "Actually, let me see if we can't get someone to identify you and contact Light." She nodded stiffly, knowing that she had no form of identification on her she hoped for a miracle.

She stared with wide eyes as the receptionist handed her the phone, she grabbed it slowly, and unsure who was on the other end. "Kagome? Are you okay?" Lights soft baritone voice was full of worry. Kagome just started to cry. "Stay there, I'll be there in a minute." She slid to the floor, collapsing in a heap. The men hopped up from their seats asking Kagome questions she didn't hear. Her blurry eyes caught a glimpse of Light's face as he hovered over her. He picked her up gently, noting the random marks on her body. He spoke to the older men that sat at the desk, and covered her with his jacket before he took her outside, and into a building close by. Kagome couldn't stop the tears from forming, she gripped Light's shirt as he carried her to safety. He murmured things such as "You're okay" and "Nothing's going to hurt you, Kagome". He kept asking what happened, receiving a flood of tears as a response. He continued to hold her shaking form, even as they rode the elevator to the top of the building. He strode into a suite and Kagome noticed it was full of men. She caught Soichiro's eyes and knew Light had taken her to safety. She began to relax as he laid her on the couch, asking everyone to leave them for a moment. The moment Kagome began to calm down and sit up, her eyes fell upon a frighteningly familiar face. She screamed, jumping off the couch and as far away from the crouching figure staring at her. His eyes were wide and full of surprise as she hurried away from him.

"Ka…gome…?" He questioned, his voice held a tinge of hurt. He got up from the chair and began walking towards her. Light stood somewhere in the middle, just as confused as L was. Both of them hesitant as Kagome continued to back away from them.

A vision of L holding a knife flashed through Kagome's mind. A fresh wave of panic washed through her making her legs wobble. The room began to fall from her and she threw her arms out to brace herself. She felt hands around her and noticed the black hair that tickled the side of her face as he hugged her to him. "L?" her shaky voice asked, a sense of déjà vu filling her mind. She pulled back from his hold and looked into his face. He was worried and exhausted, eyes dark and brooding, searching her face for answers. His hair was a mess, as it always seemed to be. _This could be a trap. _She began to fidget under his gaze. She saw Light standing behind him and felt better that he was there. _He won't hurt me._

Her eyes flicked back to the man holding her as he traced the small cuts on her face and the bruises that were forming on her shoulders. "Yes, it's me. L. Do you remember me?" his voice was barely above a whisper as he looked into her eyes. He brushed the hair that stuck to her tear dried face. _His eyes don't have any red in them, _she thought absently. _I don't feel sick anymore…_

"What exactly happened, Kagome?" Light inquired impatiently.

She leaned into L, sure that he wasn't the monster that attacked her. "I was attacked by someone. He looked exactly like L, but I know now that it wasn't, but an imposter." She said in a blur, her voice low and tired. L picked her up and placed her on a bed in one of the many attached rooms. She noticed how beautiful the room was. She was laying in golden blankets and sheets. Her tangled black mass of hair spilled over the many pillows and L sat on the edge of the bed, lightly touching her arm. Light stood in the doorway, stoic and silently watching the pair.

"Light-kun," L started, his eyes never leaving Kagome's broken stare, "it's Beyond."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** FINALLY I CAN UPDATE! My FF account has been down for almost 2 weeks. Took me way too long to finish this chapter. I expect around 4 more chapters, intense chapters if I do say so myself. R&R and thank you for reading!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: KagHieiLuver, Moonlight Rein, Last Laugh, MekoBornFromShadows, x-moon-surfer-x, SuicidalxDolly, cheerysmile, midnight98, Bloodcherry, Stinyx, sousie, Shiori Mayonaka no Yume, Izno, Pissed Off Irish Chick, Cosmic-lover, and Luna Yue!

_Paige…Kychelle….I love you. Thank you for everything!_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Death Note or Inuyasha.

**A Strawberry for Your Secret**

* * *

Chapter Six

The soft, swift sound of hands dancing across a keyboard drifted lazily through the thick air of the hotel room. Kagome's eyes fluttered open, met with the dim, murky glow from the computer monitors scattered around the room. A low groan left her lips as a razor-sharp throb coursed through the base of her skull. She shifted her rigid, aching body to rest against the frame of the large bed, attempting to unravel herself from the soft sheets. Her foggy brown eyes scanned the room as she prodded the tender bump underneath her tangled tresses. "Ouch," she murmured softly, her eyes settling on a familiar sight. Her heart gave a short stutter, causing a lone, nervous butterfly to spring against the walls of her empty stomach. L sat hunched in front of an array of monitors and laptops on the floor. His dark eyes remained hidden beneath the unruly black locks of hair. The white light made his pale skin ostensibly glow. Kagome suppressed a shiver as his swift, busy hands paused and his black eyes turned to meet hers. He left his small workspace and made his way to the bedside. She gave a small flinch as he reached a hand towards her shrinking form. Her wide eyes remained on his sad, withdrawn face, not looking at the outstretched hand.

"It's just Advil, K." L's voice was a low whisper in the darkness of the vast room. He slid away, placing the blue tablets on the end table with a soft clink. His eyes remained downturned as he moved toward the large, gilded door across the room. Kagome's heart gave a tight squeeze as the guilt coursed thick in her veins.

Kagome stumbled out of the fabric of the sheets, reaching out a hand to stop L from leaving her alone. _It's just L, Kagome. Stop freaking out. _"I'm sorry, L," she started with a soft quiver in her voice, "I don't know how I let this happ-"

Her words were cut off as L suddenly turned to hop onto the gold-ridden bed, tugging her across the blankets and pillows with him. He settled against the headboard with a soft sigh, one of his arms remained tucked around a confused Kagome. She eventually began to relax in his sudden proximity, resting a cheek against his chest, wrapping an arm around him as she buried her face into the smooth fabric of his shirt. Her eyes slid shut; his heartbeat pulsed underneath her, its soft thump lulling her into a calm haze. She dug into her memories, back to Beyond's attack, trying to remember everything that happened. A pair of black eyes glinted behind her eyelids as a knife slithered across her face. Kagome jumped from her silent reverie, burying her recollections deep within the recesses of her mind. She stared across the fabric of L's shirt, heart pounding like a deep drum beneath her chest. She was suddenly aware of his body pressed against hers, every point that their bodies touched suddenly felt hot. Her heart gave a flutter as she shifted away from him. Kagome plopped against the headboard, lobbing her head to her left shoulder to peek at his still form.

"Are you feeling alright?" His sudden question startled her. "Why are you so frightened of me, Kagome-chan?" Her eyes were met with a void stare. L's seamless, dark eyes seemingly read her every thought. She shifted as he continued to look at her, waiting for a response.

"How could I confuse someone with _you_? I'm upset with myself. How could I?" Kagome asked, eyes pleading with him to understand as she continued, "He looked just like you. He acted as you do." She shook her head, refusing to look at him as tears began to form at the corners of her eyes. "I'm scared. He could hurt you, or Light, or my family…" Kagome broke off, snapping her head up suddenly. She gripped the bed as a wave of panic battered her heart. "My family!"

As she scrambled out of the bed and made it to the exit, a hand clasped hers before she could turn the door handle. She froze, feeling the warmth of L at her back. "They're fine, K. I had them moved immediately after I confirmed that Beyond was behind this. They are under my strict protection. No one will find or harm them." His voice was a low whisper and his breath tickled the nape of her neck. He slumped away, crouching in front of a laptop on the floor.

Kagome shivered as the warmth left her, "I need to see them."

"You are not to leave this hotel unless Watari or I are with you." His nonchalance grated on Kagome's nerves.

_How can he be so calm? _She tugged the door open, her heart set on returning home and forgetting everything that happened. She ran into a stiff, surprised form, causing her to stumble into the wall. "I'm sorry…" Her eyes met those of a tall, fierce looking man. _Oh Kami..._

Kagome felt hands tug her back through the doorway. "Thanks, Mogi." She heard L say as he slipped through the door, pulling an angry Kagome behind him. "Don't pout, this is all for your protection. You don't understand how dangerous Beyond is." L perched on the bed, his voice exasperated. "If I tell you what is going on, will you promise to remain here?" Kagome simply nodded as his gaze met hers. She swallowed and stepped over towards the bed, sitting arms length away from him. She delicately placed her hands in her lap and kept her gaze on them as L spoke. "This isn't the first time I have had to deal with Beyond Birthday. I had him arrested 4 years ago in Los Angeles for a series of murders that were meant to draw me out and defeat me in a sense."

"You were in L.A.?" Kagome's eyes pinched with question as she tossed L a disbelieving look.

"I'm L." He said simply, as if it explained everything.

"And I'm Kagome," she said mockingly. "What the hell are you getting at?"

He slithered off the bed and in front of a laptop, bringing up the elegant letter L that she saw scrawled across her television weeks ago. _Oh, shit…_

Kagome smacked her palm to her forehead, "Well that explains a lot," she said quietly, embarrassed by her own blindness.

"Four years ago I was provoked by Beyond Birthday, who also attended that same orphanage that I left Japan for with Watari." L plopped a cookie in his mouth chewing as he thought. "I was raised at the orphanage to be who I am today: L. They leaders of Wammy's Orphanage soon gathered prospective children raised in my footsteps, heirs of sorts. The one first in line to replace me was A, who committed suicide under the sheer pressure of being the next detective. Beyond was next in line. He imitates me so accurately because that was all he strove to be in life. He was one of the few people who ever actually saw me at Wammy's. I have simply been the letter "L" to everyone else. You are another exception, of course. Watari and I worried for you once I began to build my status as the world's leading detective. We assigned the Hojo family to keep a silent watch over yours after the LABB case to ensure your safety. We did get many curious reports of extended absences but were ensured that it was not due to your acquaintance with Watari and me."

"…Hojo?" Kagome looked at him incredulously. She gave a sudden laugh, "There is no way Hojo would be assigned to protect anyone!" He simply sighed, ignoring the giggling Kagome who now lay on the bed, holding her stomach while she imagined Hojo dressed as a knight in shining armor.

"Regardless, Kagome, you are to remain with me until BB is caught. He is the one responsible to the serial killings that are associated with the Kira case. Since I'm in charge of both, I would like to hear what happened when you were with Beyond."

Kagome's laughter began to fade with each word that left his small, pale lips. She gave a light sigh, remaining on her back as she studied the gilded ceiling, "I received a call soon after I saw you at To-Oh with Light, and he asked me to meet him at a café downtown. I did find it odd that I was to meet _you _in such a public, crowded place but shrugged it off and went. Everything seemed normal when I met him; I got a call from Light asking me to dinner so I didn't see him for very long."

She rolled onto her side, tucking her arm underneath her head as she continued, "I remembering seeing him again when I was really upset. I saw Light with someone…someone bad. I called you-," she paused, her face flushing at her mistake. Her eyes flicked anxiously to his as she stumbled on, "I called Beyond and he sent a cab to get me and take me to his apartment. I kind of broke down when I saw him, I just remember crying and falling asleep on the couch on his lap." Kagome turned red with embarrassment, "Anyway, I woke up and left that morning. Nothing strange happened until last night."

Kagome drew a hand to her stomach, recalling the odd nauseating feeling she had gotten, "I started to get these odd feelings around him. I can't really explain how or why, but I knew something was wrong. I went out to dinner with him and I felt like I was going to faint at the table when he grabbed my hand. He took me to the apartment again and I had started to feel better until he began asking me questions that I didn't want to answer."

"What questions?" L interjected, his voice closer than Kagome thought he was. He stood next to the bed, catching Kagome's gaze as he sat next to her, looking away as she continued.

"He asked about Light and why I was so upset. Things like that…" She began to fidget, "He began to get violent when I refused to give out details…" She trailed off, hearing L grunt in disapproval.

A small frown formed on his brow, "Violent?" He questioned as he moved a hand to trace a bruise on her shoulder. "What did he do to you?"

"I remember him shoving me against the sink and grabbing my arms. I got away but he was faster than I was. He had grabbed a knife; I'm assuming that's where I got the cut on my face. I blacked out after that." She unconsciously rubbed the base of her skull where the bump throbbed. "I woke up in his bed, and he was talking to someone on the phone or something in the bathroom, giving me time to get to the door before he began to chase me. I left everything there so I didn't know where else to go. I was scared that I wouldn't make it home without him catching me, so I went to the police headquarters and demanded to see Light or his father."

Her voice sounded far away and haunted, her eyes glossed over, "I was so scared…" Kagome tried to blink away the tears as L moved to lie next to her. He mimicked her position, laying on his side and facing her. He moved a hand to brush away the hair from her face, resting it on her cheek.

"I promise nothing will happen to you again. He can't reach you if you are with me, K." He gave a soft smile as Kagome moved to hide her tears in the crook of his neck. He silently drew circles on her back as she began to calm down and drift into a fitful sleep. Her small hands loosened their grip on his shirt. He looked down his nose to see her pink, wet face pinched in a frown as she dreamed.

_If only she hadn't met me, she wouldn't have been hurt, _he thought guiltily as his eyes drifted shut and matched Kagome in the world of nightmares.

* * *

The sun trickled through the soft, cream curtains, stinging Kagome's eyes as they met the morning light. She squinted, looking around the room for L. She gave a small pout when she sat up and found his laptops and sweets all but abandoned on the soft carpet of the bedroom floor. She groggily slid off the bed and into a connecting bathroom to examine the damage of the past two nights. Her hair poked in every direction, causing Kagome to frantically attempt to tug it down unsuccessfully. Lifting up the back of her shirt, Kagome turned to inspect the sickly, yellowish bruise on her lower back. She prodded the tender flesh with a soft hiss. _That's going to be there a while, _she thought with a frown.

Kagome felt a soft tap on her shoulder, causing her to leap out of her skin, a squeal escaping her lips as she whirled around to face the assailant. Light jumped back as she came to face him, his face was guarded and surprised by Kagome's sudden reaction. "It's just me!" He said lamely, hands waving innocently in front of him as she spun around in a blur.

"Light!" Kagome said, relief washing over her features, softening her stance and the creases on her anxious face. He began to squirm under her careful scrutiny. "What's wrong?"

Light met her gaze, his brown eyes hard and stocked with secrets, "I'm leaving for a while." His words continued to rapidly spill from his lips, "Don't leave L, Kagome. Stay safe. Once this is all over, you'll be happy again." Light clasped a hand on her arm and tugged her into a quick, rigid hug. She hadn't any time to return his troubled embrace before he slid out of the bathroom, disappearing from sight.

Her stomach turned as she gathered her racing thoughts, _Where could he be going? Why is he here with the investigative team? Do they know he's Kira…?_ Kagome bolted from the bathroom, scurrying through the open bedroom doors. She came to a halt, shocked as she watched Light being handcuffed by the large man she ran into the previous night. "What are you doing!"

She marched over towards Light, set on bargaining his freedom but was stopped by a single look. Light's eyes forcefully pierced hers, screaming at her to stay away. "Light…" she mumbled, her soft voice hurt and confused. _Why won't you let me save you?_

L nodded and Light was then blindfolded and taken away. "No! Where are you taking him? What has he done?" She reached a hand out, stepping forward to drag Light back into the room but a pale, thin hand on her wrist stopped her in her tracks. Kagome knew that it would be hopeless to fight for him if he was imprisoned as Kira. Her heart throbbed with a dull ache as she watched her friend fall away from her, praying it would not be the last time.

"He is suspected of being the original Kira." L moved towards a shaken Kagome, "He asked us to detain him in order to determine his guilt or his innocence." She flinched away from him, her eyes hazy and bitter. He remained a dejected slumped form as Kagome silently retreated into the bedroom without a word. With a thumb at his lips and a frown adorning his brow, L plopped back in front of the series of television screens and sulked as he watched Misa and Light in their confinement.

Footsteps fell around the hotel suite all day. Kagome locked the only door into the bedroom, sliding down the coolness of the wall, listening for a break in the constant bustle of the investigation center. She watched silently as bars of golden light crept across the floor with the falling sun. People attempted to come into the room, but gave up easily once they realized that Kagome had stubbornly locked herself in. She scoffed and perked up eagerly when she heard someone call the ever-watchful L from his station in the lobby of the suite. With a clear mind and a strong heart, Kagome pounced at the first opportunity to flee the chaos. She took a lung-full of air and quietly slid the lock, wincing as it clicked loudly around her. With shaky hands and bated breath, she silently cracked the door and eyed her surroundings. She heard L's low mumble from the adjacent room. Creeping across the expanse of the room, she made it to the main door before she heard footsteps, causing her to jump and bolt from the hotel room.

Kagome's fast footsteps flew through the doors of the luxurious hotel and onto the busy, afternoon streets of the city. Kagome bowed her head and began to walk towards home, attempting to blend in within the mass of people around her. Her stomach grumbled angrily, begging for food. _I don't have any money. I'll have to wait until I get home. Home…_

The word brought a faint smile on her dry, chapped lips. Kagome had to admit, she didn't look all that great. She wore the same clothing from the day of the attack, leaving it wrinkled with days of wear and Kagome itched to get out of them. She figured her mother's cooking and a bath could cure everything from a girl torn between two eras and one who was having major boy drama.

With a chuckle, Kagome found herself at the shrine steps. She padded up them with a nostalgic familiarity, swiftly making it to her front door. Squinting, Kagome noted that the door was cracked. The usual sounds of cooking and video games did not great her as she swung the door open.

Silence.

Destruction.

With a shaky breath, she took in the condition of her beloved home. Furniture tossed here and there, on their sides and upside down. The floor was littered with paper, broken glass and trash. It became more difficult to see through the tears that she didn't realize she was crying. Glass crunched under her feet, snapping her into reality.

_Beyond was here. _The simple, quiet whisper of Beyond's name had her stomach reeling. _Where is Mom? Souta? Gramps? Light's going to be killed. Inuyasha's gone…_Her mind reeled, reliving painful realities as she slowly crumbled.

Scuffling backwards, Kagome felt for the soft wood of her front door. Instead, she stumbled into the solid, unmoving form of another person. A scream gurgled in the back of her throat, struggling to pierce through the hand that clasped her mouth.

* * *

The sun barely peeked over the horizon and the city lights blazed below, L gazed at the bustling Tokyo as he waited. The cool evening glow played on his pallid features and unruly hair. He snapped from his haze as the phone in his pocket vibrated against his thigh. He dangled it awkwardly against his ear with his thumb and forefinger, "Mosh-"

The loud protests in the background cut L off, replacing the somber lines with a small smirk. "I found her. We're on our way back now," Watari's old voice chuckled.

"Hai," L retorted, snapping the cool metal closed with a sharp click. _She's going to get an earful, _he thought as he slid back in front of his laptop, plucking his fork from the table with a small sigh.

* * *

**A/N:** Short chapter, but this was a good place to stop. As always, thanks so much for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Blah blah, this took all summer because I was so busy. Not a huge chapter but a nice place to stop. With fall semester starting up soon, I should be able to get on some sort of writing schedule and finish this thing up!

Thanks to those who alerted the story! And thanks to those of you who left wonderful reviews on the last chapter: _Dark Void Princess 21_, _KagHieiLuver_, _Kira Kyuu_, _Bloodcherry_, _sousie_, _Cosmic-lover_, _midnight98_, _Lozenger12_, _mistressofdarkness962_, _InuBroken_, _The English Miko_, _Blackmoon OniOokami_, & _Mers Bug_.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Death Note or Inuyasha.

**A Strawberry for Your Secret**

* * *

Chapter Seven

"How much longer?" Kagome whined impatiently, her hand held lazily out the window as the car drifted through the countryside.

"You'll know when we are there, Miss Kagome." Watari's aged tone held a hint of a smile. His small eyes peeped over his thin-rimmed glasses and through the rear-view mirror to gleam at her.

She rested her head next to the open window causing her hair to whip around her. With an arm stretched outside of the car, she listlessly opened her hand to the wind, admiring the rolling, golden country as they slipped away from Tokyo. It had been so long since she had ventured this far from home. She remembered visiting the graves of her ancestors, which were nestled in the hills outside of Tokyo, when she was seven but had not left the city since.

The sun bathed her skin, prickling it with its tepid beams. She slipped the hand back into the car, feeling like a child as she watched the world fly by. The car smelled of fresh leather, with glossy black seats and polished wood paneling. They lapsed into a comfortable silence as they drove through the bounds of the great city.

She slid her eyes shut, immediately recalling L's angry face. The sun blinked through treetops, causing her memories to appear like an old silent film behind her pink lids. Kagome had been surprised when she returned to the hotel, practically dragged there by Watari, and faced with an extremely irritated detective. _I didn't know he could get so worked up…_

A couple of days ago, she had talked Watari into taking her out of the dark, gloomy base that she was constantly confined to nowadays. She needed air and L wasn't letting her out of his sights after her feeble attempt at escape a week ago. With the boredom came plenty of time to think. Her thoughts had been clawing at the edges of her mind, like the razor claws of a frightened cat. She needed council. She missed her mother, her friends…

She was going out of her mind with no one to talk to and nothing to still her restless thoughts. Her drive to save her friend from the dark demon that now lurked behind him had her traveling across Japan. She needed answers that only another miko could give. _How can someone kill a shinigami? Are the death gods invincible?_

Watari had been surprisingly easy to convince, even with knowledge of how far he would have to take her. He was such a mysterious man, always silently fulfilling his duty to help and watch over the legendary detective.

Trying to convince L was another story. He insisted on going with Kagome, which she adamantly refused. L shouldn't get too involved. Not _that _way at least. A cart of treats and a word with Watari seemed to change his mind.

Kagome had dozed off, jolting awake when she heard the driver-side door slam, feeling it gently rock the noiseless car. She wiped the sleep from the creases of her eyes and tried to erase any evidence of drool that lingered around her mouth with the back of her sleeve. The sun was fading on the horizon, dusting the treetops with the last of its balmy rays. She stood on a gravel road, staring up a set of steps. The steps of her shrine paled in comparison to the stone stairs that were nestled into the immense hillside.

The hill faced the west, blocking out any remaining light and casting a cool shadow over Kagome and the surrounding area. She could make out the known red-framed entrance amongst the trees and greenery that seemed to consume the hilltop.

"Do they have an elevator?" Kagome laughed weakly, beginning to march forward to climb the expanse of stairs before them. The rocks gave a soft crunch with each footfall.

She paused; turning to look at the older man whose widening eyes still lingered at the top of the entrance with despondency. "Wait with the car; I'm just going to talk with the head priestess. There is no way I can escape this place!" She gave a small, nervous laugh.

With a short nod, Watari excused himself and plucked a phone from his pocket, returning to the car. Kagome gave a short sigh as she made her way to the heart of the shrine.

A while later, she stood in front of an ancient shrine that resembled those from the feudal era. The old, traditional architecture, the scarlet red paint - it all had flashbacks of the shrines she visited with Inuyasha, 500 years in the past, bombarding her brain. She felt as if she was walking through a veil. On one side was reality and on the other was the feeling of traveling 500 years in the past once more.

She drew a deep breath between her dry, parted lips and made her way through the silent shrine to find one of the only remaining mikos in Japan. The shrine wasn't very big. It held three buildings that she could see from the entrance. The grounds seemed to be poorly kept and the forest seemed to be taking over the sacred grounds. Weeds were growing through the small fissures in the stones, tickling her ankles. She walked hesitantly over the cracking stone walkway.

With no one in sight, Kagome headed into the largest building, which was nestled in the center of the shrine. The edifice was noticeably old and the paint was chipping off in large chunks, exposing the decaying wood beneath. She slid the paper door open and slipped into the dimly lit halls. Her soft footfalls filled the small hallway as she made twists and turns through an endless maze of rooms and halls trying to find someone.

The sound of a door sliding opening had her jumping out of her skin. She let out a small yelp and turned to see a woman clad in the traditional miko garb that she had worn herself, standing in the doorway.

The woman was elderly. Her skin was sagging and covered in deep wrinkles. Each movement was purposeful and methodic and her hair was pulled back and tied with a white ribbon. A few stray, gray hairs fell from the ponytail and neatly framed her face.

Kagome gave a low bow, "My name is Kagome Higurashi. I'm here to see the head priestess called Setsuna; do you know where I may find her?"

"Yes, child. I am Setsuna," said the woman with a small nod of her head. "I could feel you approaching from miles away. Why is a young, fellow miko like you seeking the council of an aged woman like me?" The woman's eyes twinkled with humor as she waved Kagome into the muted room from the doorway.

She gathered her legs underneath her and sat across a small table from her elder. "I was never trained properly and am unaware of the history of our people. I sought you out to hear stories of the mikos and shinigami from long ago."

"Shinigami? Now that is something I haven't heard of for many years…"

* * *

The dull, white halls glimmered as the sun danced off the precious stone resting in her palm. It was bathed in deep blue-greens and dark violets. Kagome juggled the stone as she made her way to the main chamber to find L, who was surely bent over his computer or a piece of cake. The light caught her eye and she brought the stone into view.

… "_Wear this on your endeavor, my dear." The woman said as she hobbled from the chest nestled in the far corner of the room, holding something in her frail hands._

_Clutched in her hands was a smooth stone saturated in the purest color of turquoise that Kagome had ever seen. It was like looking through etched glass that held a radiating light from within. The stone was no larger than a grape and it was smooth to the touch. It felt cool against her skin, but Kagome could feel a sort of warmth radiating from within the stone._

"_What is it?" Kagome's brow furrowed in question as she examined the jewel._

"_This stone will serve you well, Kagome. It will protect and enlighten you on the dangerous road ahead. I hope you heed my warnings and I wish you would give up on that plan of yours but I sense an unwavering determination in you."_

She closed her hand tightly over the stone. It gave off the same soothing energy as the Sacred Tree; her soul felt at peace and her mind clear when she sat beneath its branches. The little pebble gave a fraction of that but it was better than nothing.

"…_They are the darkness to our untainted light. They serve the God of Death, Kagome. We use our power for the good of the people and the world. We serve the Light. We are natural enemies of these selfish creatures. They are the darkest of demons, child. Light and Dark have always violently clashed. Peace between the two spiritual realms always lies on the edge of a knife." The woman's ragged voice gave an audible shudder._

"_Why would they be on Earth? Why did they leave their world to walk through ours and wreak unimaginable havoc in their wake? Why would they choose my friend?" Kagome's voice rose as anger and confusion bubbled inside of her._

"_They follow their books, dear. Wherever their notebooks are, they are close behind. I know not how to expose them but I'm sure if their book is returned in some way, they are obligated to return to their world."_

Kagome selflessly decided that the stone would be of more use to someone else. Protecting those she cared for is something she cherished above everything else. She fastened the small stone onto a bracelet and decided to slip the wooden charm from her phone on it as well. She held up the string of the bracelet and admired her handiwork. The bark of the Sacred Tree looked incredibly dull next to the gleaming depths of the gem. _Please, let this protect you…_

She bounced into the dark quarters. The room was lit by the artificial glow of televisions and computer monitors that gave off a low buzz that hummed throughout the room. The only person was a pale figure perched in a chair with his back towards her in the heart of the room. _Right where I left you, _she laughed to herself. The place was usually buzzing with activity at all hours of the day. People were flipping through paperwork, typing away on their laptops or talking amongst themselves. There was a long table to one side of the room that held a clutter of paperwork and mugs of old coffee. Brown rims stained the cups, and the stale scent had Kagome scrunching her nose in distaste.

She figured that he knew someone had entered the room but decided to sneak up behind him anyway. With a smile plastered on her face, she crept behind the black chair that L never left. Her hand lashed out and grabbed his arm, quickly binding the bracelet to his thin, frail wrist.

"What's this?" L said curiously, not even glancing at Kagome or phased by her failed attempt at frightening him. He awkwardly held up his arm, studying the seemingly random objects that lightly clanked together. He gave his limp wrist a slight shake and watched the light from the computers reflect from the peculiar jewel.

Kagome sulked at his indifference. "I made it! This will keep you safe. Promise you won't take it off?" She gave her best pout and waited for his word.

"I'm perfectly safe here, no one-"

Kagome interjected L's indolent tone, raising her voice and catching his full attention, "Just...just wear it, okay? For me?"

He tilted his head to study her expression. A worry line seemed to be permanently etched on her brow. Her eyes were bright and anxious, silently pleading with him. _Why is this so important to her? _His brain began to churn through possibilities as he responded, "Ok."

"Thank you!" she squealed, clapping her hands together and turning to leave.

She marched out of the gloomy den in which L confined himself and went to the bright room that she was given while she remained at the headquarters. It looked like an expensive hotel suite decorated in yellows and soft pinks. The furnishings were very simple and quaint. Kagome went into the connecting bathroom and started to draw herself a bath. Hot water gushed from the faucet, sliding along the slippery white porcelain as she added some bubbles to the water. The steam carried the scent of fresh apples throughout the colorless space, lazily wafting through the open door and throughout the rest of the suite.

As she began to return to the bathroom, a small bag of her bathing necessities in hand, she felt a chill prickle her spine. A small gust of air had brushed past her back, causing her to gasp and turn to see who was there. _No one?_

"Hello?" She called softly, hoping that someone would answer. The room was unusually still and the only sound was the dripping of water from the tub and her breath. Still, even as she turned and locked the door to the bathroom behind her, she couldn't shake the empty, nervous feeling that itched at the walls of her stomach.

* * *

"Another mass murder, Ryuzaki, but I don't think it was caused by Kira."

"Hmm. I have a suspect behind these murders, but he is extremely evasive. It will take time but we'll definitely be able to pin down the suspect." L began to hand out random orders, making sure to keep the group of men busy while he did the majority of the work trying to find BB and two Kiras simultaneously.

As if on cue, Watari appeared with fresh tea and an array of cakes. Sometimes it felt as if Watari could read minds.

"Call the trio," L mumbled between sips of the hot tea, sifting through a mountain of paperwork. "They can find Beyond while I focus on finding the Kiras." He paused, crumpling his lips to one side with the pad of his thumb. "Make it seem a sort of game. They are always looking for ways to top each other. They'll do well."

"Right away," the man said with a bow, leaving the room.

As L turned in his swivel chair to face the team and discuss their means of attacking the seemingly impossible project ahead, a shadow caught his dead eyes. The large room seemed to bend and fold with the light. The stark grey walls dimmed the space like a fixed film of dust that clung to everything around them. The only genuine splash of color occasionally stemmed from the computer monitors or from the different ties that the other detectives wore each day. He remained transfixed by the tall awkward form as it seemingly melted into the wall at the far end of the dark room. A thumb danced across the length of his lip as he dismissed the play of light and returned his attention to the tired group of men awaiting his orders. Assigning random areas of focus for them to investigate, L turned around in his chair, stabbing the chocolate cake on his plate with the small fork in his hand.

The lack of windows in the establishment created by L himself always had him wondering what time it was. By the sounds of chatter and shuffling of paper, L guessed it was just before lunch. Everyone seemed to get antsy to escape from the muted cavern of never-ending work. L popped a fork full of chocolate mousse cake into his mouth, savoring the rich taste as he allowed the fork to slowly slide across his tongue. His eyes danced across the illuminated screens in front of him and he drifted away on the current of his thoughts.

After a few hours, the buzzing room seemed to die down and people slowly drifted home, he absently played with the food in front of him. Time seemed to creep forward sluggishly when he was alone. He felt as if he were racing a snail…and losing. Not all of the sugar and caffeine could atone for the severe deprivation of sleep. L had no recollection of the last time he slept and gave his scalp a scratch while he pondered the thought and dug through his memory. The days blended together. The unending pattern of tea, small meetings and staring into the vast World Wide Web dulled the excitement of the case. As soon as Light was incarcerated, the case had taken a nosedive into a boring abyss.

Kagome grabbed a chair and brought it to face L. Its legs caught the tiled floor with a thump, filling the vast room with its never-ending echo. He tossed a simple glance to his left, catching her tired, darkly rimmed eyes, "Did you just wake up, K?" He asked indifferently as he began to aimlessly peck on the keys of the laptop in front of him.

When he didn't receive a response, he turned to see Kagome looking at something behind him with a disquieting frown on her lips. "What's the matter?" L's toes wriggled with his question. His feet slithered across each other as the silence stretched on.

"Did you have anyone come up to my room last night," she murmured her voice just above a whisper. She nervously nibbled on her fleshy bottom lip, flicking her eyes to meet the vacant, black stare of L.

He quirked his head to the side like a confused puppy. "No…why?"

With a lengthy sigh, Kagome pushed herself out of the chair, "Oh, nothing really. Never mind!" She forced a small smile and left the quiet room, walking along the corridors to return to her suite. She tucked a thick lock of her raven black hair behind an ear and watched her feet as she softly padded down the hallway. Her stomach gave a little tremor as she turned into the hall that housed the door to her small residence. She soon learned why her body had been acting so strange just as she turned that corner.

She heard a sloppy crunch, causing her to direct her attention to the figure at the end of the hall. Ryuk loudly devoured a scarlet red apple as he walked, his back to her, and turned to glide through a wall. He didn't seem to notice the two sets of eyes that gawked at his lanky form as he disappeared from sight. Kagome threw herself around the corner, her back against the cool, peach wall of the hallway as her heart thumped through her chest.

She attempted to muffle the small squeal that escaped her lips as she found a slumping L standing in front of her, his face showing a hint of surprise and question.

He moved a few steps closer to her, "What was that? I know you saw it too." His eyes held hers, waiting for an answer.

"Wait, how can you see…" her eyes trailed to the charms that dangled on his wrist as he popped a lollipop in his mouth."Crap!" She blurted as she grabbed his wrist and took off running through the building of endless doors that led to unknown places in the mysterious building.

"Where are you dragging me?" L complained with a small lisp. The sucker in his mouth bobbed around, clanking against his teeth as he trailed behind her, his wrist still held captive by Kagome's firm grip.

"Somewhere safe. Somewhere I can tell you my secret." Her voice remained steady, even though she felt as if her heart were about to burst. L was now wholly involved in the mess she wished to protect him from. He would soon realize that truth and she was honestly frightened of the consequences.

_Why is Ryuk here? Shouldn't he be with Light?_

L's room loomed ahead and as they slipped inside, she locked the door behind them.

L stood by her in the doorway, slouched over with a hand in his pocket and the other holding the bright pink sucker. Kagome shoved past him, attempting to catch her breath and calm her nerves. L walked by her anxious form with a slothful pace, to perch on an oversized loveseat tucked in the corner of the room.

She stopped in front of him; her eyes met with his, their brown depths appeared frightened and feral. Dropping her gaze, she began to pace in front of him, restlessly running a hand through her hair.

"I'm about to tell you a secret, L. You must promise to keep this between us until the time is right. This is really important and-"

"That was a shinigami." The previous message from Kira had seemed to be a meaningless message left to toy with L. As the words ran through his mind, he suddenly realized the truth behind the words.

_L, did you know that shinigami only eat apples?_

* * *

**A/N**:Thanks for reading another chapter of this insane crossover!


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